Lost Memories
by rievene
Summary: AU. After an accident on the road, Lightning wakes up to find that she can barely remember anything about herself, let alone those around her. A distressed Hope attempts to help her gain her memories back, and maybe even confess his feelings on the way...post-game. On a temporary hiatus.
1. Meeting

**Warnings:** Slight language. This story is also post-game, meaning that all events have taken place after Final Fantasy XIII (none of the events from FFXII-2 took place). AU.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII.

* * *

"...s…"

"...is…"

_...Who is that…?_

"...sis…"

_Who's calling me...?_

"...sis!"

_Ugh. I want to sleep…._

"Sis!"

Lightning opened her eyes at the noise, squinting from the light and groaning. Her sister, Serah, was shaking her awake. "Wake up, Claire!" she said. "We're going to be late!"

"Wanna sleep," Lightning mumbled, burying her face in her pillow.

"You can have your sleep later, after the wedding. You have to get up and ready."

Lightning laid down in her bed, enjoying the warmth within the sheets and her pillow, when she caught a glimpse of her sister. Serah was standing in a pink dress, the soft fabric floating just above her knees. Flowers adorned the top before it reached the belt wrapped around below her bust, adding definition to her figure. "You going somewhere?" Lightning asked, struggling to keep an eye open.

Serah rolled her eyes and shook Lightning again. "If you didn't listen, I'll tell you again. You're going to be late to the _wedding today._" Lightning's brain suddenly snapped. A flurry of thoughts went flying in her head: _Oh yeah, Yeul's wedding is today. Wait. Today. Shouldn't I be getting ready?_

_Oh, no._

The pink-haired soldier, once exhausted from the lack of sleep thanks to working overtime the previous night, sent the covers on her bed flying as she bolted up and out of her bed. She looked at the clock on the wall as she ran into the bathroom.

12:28 PM. The wedding was at 1, and it took at least twenty minutes to get to where it was.

_Shit!_

In a flash, Lightning closed the door behind her, stripped down and jumped into the shower, scrubbing down her body and drenching her hair. As quick as she had got in, she hopped out, wrapped herself in a towel, and grabbed her dress from the rack on the bathroom wall.

In ten minutes she was fully dried, dressed, and cleaned. The two reached the wedding just in time. Serah was slightly fussing over Lightning, making sure everything was in place and that her hair was exactly how it was when she had done it.

"Serah, I'm fine," Lightning protested, waving away her sister's hand. "You've already done enough checks on me and my hair. And besides, aren't you supposed to be with Snow? Where is he?" She had been in such a hurry in the morning that the fact that her brother-in-law was missing had escaped her notice.

"Snow should be here by now. I was supposed to take Celina to school and visit because the parents were supposed to watch what their kids have been doing in class, but Snow insisted on doing it instead because he wanted to see her in school." Serah bit her lip, looking worried. "He was supposed to be done by the time she had lunch, which was an hour ago. I tried calling him, but he won't pick up…"

"Who won't pick up?"

Serah turned around at the voice to see her husband, who was dressed in a tuxedo. "Snow!" Serah exclaimed, hugging him. "I was worried about you! Why are you so late? You should have gotten here before us."

"Sorry, sorry," Snow said, chuckling. "It turns out little Celina's been behind in her schoolwork, and I had to stay and talk to her teacher about it. I couldn't pick up your calls because my phone died."

As Serah and Snow discussed their daughter's grades, Lightning looked around. It was five minutes into the wedding, and everyone was still standing around, chatting. No one seemed to notice that the bride and groom were absent, nor did they seem to notice that it was time for the ceremony to start. Moreover, many faces that Lightning knew were missing. She twisted uncomfortably in her dress, briefly distracting herself from her thoughts. The red, strapless dress that Serah had forced her into swept over her ankles, hugging her curves and contrasting her pale skin. A single rose made entirely of cloth was stitched on the left side of her dress, lying on her chest. This was one of the few occasions Serah had managed to make Lightning wear something formal, as she would always cling to her standard soldier uniform. Scowling, she looked back at her dress, eyeing it with as much animosity one could have towards a single dress. Her thoughts slowly drifted back towards Hope, wondering why he wasn't present at the wedding.

Hope had been living with Lightning for the past four years, and they had been extremely close. His father's death had hit him hard after his mother's, but he eventually learned to live on happily, though it took him some time. He had moved in with Serah and Snow at first, but Lightning took him in (much to his relief) after seeing what living with Snow did to him. She also felt it would be better for him to live with less people around the house so he could have more privacy, as Serah had a child, and it wouldn't do much good for Hope.

Lightning could always tell when something was on his mind and when he was tired, when he was genuinely happy or when he was angry. Hope knew her well enough in return to easily see what she was thinking, practically reading her like a book when she seemed troubled or happy. The pair were well matched, as Serah would say, and although she would never admit it, Lightning rather enjoyed his company and would have preferred it no other way.

Unfortunately, she had been working late at the base last night and had to call Hope to tell him she was going to be staying out a while longer. When her sister had drove her back to her house, no one was there to answer, so she took an exhausted Lightning to her own place instead, letting Hope know the next morning that his housemate was resting somewhere else for the night.

Lost in her thoughts and recalling the situation, Lightning jumped when she heard a man's voice whisper in her ear, "Lightning." She whipped her head around to see who it was.

Hope stood in a suit, chuckling at Lightning's startling reaction. She stared, seeing the black, simple attire. It fit him well, making his build appear slightly larger than it was.

Hope was now nineteen, a few inches taller than Lightning already. The way he eyed her dress made her blush; she tried to beat down the heat crawling up her cheeks, but it did no good. Clearing her throat somewhat awkwardly, she spoke. "You look…nice."

This time, it was Hope's turn to blush. Twin spots of pink formed on his cheeks, and Lightning couldn't help but crack a small smile at the sight. She continued. "Did you sleep okay yesterday?"

Hope nodded. "I'm really sorry I didn't come to the door last night. I was sleeping, and my phone was off."

"It's okay. It's not like it would have really made a difference. I got to stay at Serah's place, remember?"

Hope opened his mouth, about to respond, when he was cut off by the sound of people shuffling into their chairs. The wedding ceremony had started. Nodding at Lightning, they both walked over to a row of empty chairs and sat themselves, immediately joined by Fang and Vanille, who had run in at the last moment. As the red-haired girl plopped down on her seat, she leaned over her tan friend and whispered. "Are we too late?" Hope shook his head, telling her the ceremony had just started.

As the music started to play, he couldn't help but glance over at Lightning and wonder if he should have told her what he wanted to say.

_You look beautiful today, Light._


	2. The Wedding

**So this is Chapter 2, as you can all see…I hope you enjoy reading it.**

** ChainzOfThePast and dainlord, thank you for your responses/reviews! This is my first fanfic that I'm posting online, so they meant a lot to me. ^_^**

* * *

The wedding was hectic and full of laughter. Yeul, the bride, had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction and had to arrive a little later than usual, which explained the delay. Her husband was practically a giant, towering over most of the people in the room. The only person close to his height was Snow, who stood at a whopping 6'7".

Yeul was a quiet woman. She would smile and laugh on the occasions that she wanted to, but her words were always small and polite, always reserved. She had met Lightning and Hope when she had dropped her bags at the mall and they had helped her pick them up. Afterwards, she invited them over along with Vanille and Fang, whom she befriended rather quickly. In fact, she and Vanille were closer than she was with the others, so they spoke with each other often. Sazh and Snow got to meet her as well, though they weren't as familiar.

As Yeul walked down the aisle, her white dress almost drifted along behind her. The train was long, and the veil covered her face gracefully. Serah and Vanille teared up, of course, but Fang and Lightning leaned back and watched as the wedding officiant spoke.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses…"

"…to be honorable among all men…"

"…reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and solemnly…"

As the officiant went on, Lightning thought of Serah's wedding and how that had turned out. She did shed a tear or two near the end, but it was nothing compared to Vanille's tearstained cheeks. Lightning remembered Fang telling her how emotional Vanille was. _No kidding,_ she thought. Shaking her head, she focused her attention back on the officiant.

"…I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

A deafening wave of clapping washed over the crowd and Yeul leaned in to kiss her new husband. He had to bend down to do so, which Vanille noticed, based on her endless giggles.

Lightning could've sworn that she'd seen Hope wipe tears from his eyes, but the next time she saw them, they were the same bright green as ever, so she couldn't be too sure.

* * *

"Yeul!" Vanille exclaimed. She practically jumped her friend as she ran over to greet her during the reception. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Yeul said, beaming. As Vanille chattered on and on about good places to visit during the couples' honeymoon, Lightning walked around, looking for something to eat after hearing about the buffet. Turning this way and that in search of food, she felt her back collide against someone else's. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said. The man turned around. It was Hope. "Oh," she said. "Hope? I thought you were sitting over there with Snow."

"I was, but Snow's been having a little bit too much to drink lately." He pointed over towards the dance floor, cringing at the sight of the tall blonde man thrusting his pelvis out while thrashing his arms around. "Does he…always do this? I know how he's like at home, but not at parties..."

Lightning put her head in her hands, groaning. "I'm going to kill him when we get back," she growled. "He just gets out of control when he's…drunk. I think Serah's lived with him long enough to handle him on her own, so let's just leave it for now."

The pair walked along, trying to find the buffet. The place was ridiculously large and packed, making it even harder to find the food. "Why is it so hard to find a couple of tables full of food in this place?" she muttered. Even worse, her somewhat tight dress made it harder for her to move. She was wary with her walking, like someone would step on her dress and make her trip with one slip.

In the spur of the moment, a laughing woman with a drink in hand came stumbling back, about to land on Lightning.

Everything happened in slow motion.

She was falling…falling…falling…

…when Hope gripped Lightning's arm and yanked her back before the drunken woman could land on her.

Before she could look back, Lightning was suddenly being dragged along by the arm with Hope. She blinked, and suddenly they were at the buffet.

"Help yourself," said Hope, handing her a plate.

_How did he…?_

Lightning stared at the plate in her hands, unsure of what to think next. She shook the insecurity from her head, looking up as Hope called her name. "Light? Aren't you going to eat anything?" he asked.

"Yeah, I will," she replied. She walked towards the shrimp platter, ignoring the warm feeling creeping up her cheeks. _Just eat and forget, Lightning. Eat and forget._

Dinner with Hope was normal as always, regardless of the different setting. Lightning found herself smiling more and more frequently as he told her his jokes and stories, trying to make her laugh. The food was good, and they eventually had to leave their plates alone, despite the offer of the triple-chocolate cake from the waiter ("No, I swear, I've eaten enough," was Hope's reply). After they had finished, music sounded through the speakers, echoing throughout the large building. It was soft and elegant, something that you would normally find in a wedding. Yeul's husband, Ceive, as he was called, stepped out onto the dance floor. He spun around on his heel to bow down and extend a hand towards Yeul. She took it, and together they glided across the dance floor. The thick train on Yeul's bridal gown had been removed, revealing a long white dress that floated above her feet as she danced.

"It must be nice," Hope murmured. Lightning turned to look at him. "What?" she asked.

"Getting married," he said. Lightning watched the couple as they danced. Normally, Yeul looked so reserved, always keeping to herself. When she was with Ceive, it was as if she had a whole new, brighter outlook on life. Lightning chuckled softly, somewhat happy for the new bride.

Hope stood up, removing his thin jacket. The sudden removal of the black article of clothing exposed his slender build and vest, his tie tucked in underneath. He leaned towards Lightning and bowed down, putting his hand out for her to take. "My lady," he said. "Would you care to dance?"

"Hope, what are you doing?"

"I'm asking you to dance," Hope responded, grinning. "Are you going to just leave me hanging here?"

Lightning rolled her eyes, still hesitant to comply. Slowly, she put out her hand in his and stood up. They both made their way to the dance floor, slightly squinting at first from the bright lights. Lightning placed her hand on Hope's shoulder, to which he responded by placing his hand on her waist. She immediately stiffened, but relaxed once Hope gave her a warm smile. She returned it somewhat awkwardly, looking down to make sure her feet were in the right place. "Just relax," Hope said softly. Lightning looked at Hope, bewildered. "Follow my lead."

Once she got the hang of it, dancing was actually easier than she thought. Their movements were natural, joined together by an unknown force between them. There were no accidental steps on the other's feet or awkward movements in their arms; the dance felt comfortable. It was fun, something Lightning didn't expect at the start.

Hope and Lightning's presence brought on whoops and whistles from the crowd. Lightning cringed at the sound, but it was soon gone. Instead, more couples joined them, entwined to each other by the hands and moving back and forth to the music.

As soon as the dance was over, three more orchestral pieces came on, softly singing through the speakers. As each song started, more and more couples joined the dance floor. It was a strange feeling, but Lightning liked it nonetheless. She didn't mind dancing with Hope, and he seemed more than happy to do it with her.

* * *

The wedding reception lasted for another hour before everyone was tired and ready to go home. The whole ceremony had lasted five hours in total, and it was getting dark outside. Serah had left early to pick up Celina (Snow, who was drunk, was forced by his wife to go take a shower and a long nap), while Vanille and Fang were chatting with the newlyweds. Most of the guests from the reception had left, and only a few people were standing around talking. Lightning stood up from her seat, patting out any wrinkles in her dress. "Well, we should probably head back now," she said.

Hope nodded, stretching his arms back before pulling his jacket back on. "That was pretty fun. It looks like you have an unexpected talent for dancing, Light," he said, smiling.

"You're not so bad yourself," she replied, grabbing the purse that Serah had gotten her. She slightly recoiled at the thought of keeping the pink, small bag next to her throughout the way home, but picked it up anyways. As she reached for her keys, she realized that Serah had taken them when she left earlier. Cursing under her breath, she silently pondered what to do. Hope didn't have his own car, and he'd come here by…

"Hope?" Lightning said. He turned around. "Yeah?"

"How did you get here if no one drove you?" she asked.

"Oh, Fang gave me a ride," he answered. Lightning looked around to see that Fang and Vanille were packing up themselves, ready to leave and go home as well. She walked over.

"Hey," she said.

"Well, I see you got yourself a little glam and glitter over you today. How was the dance with Miss Silverette over there?" Fang said, grinning. Lightning crossed her arms, scowling. "He's not a girl. I was coming over here to ask if you could give us a ride home."

"Did your car break down or something?" Fang asked.

"No, Serah took it when she left earlier. I think she forgot to come back with it after all the fuss with Snow," Lightning sighed. "Anyway, could you?"

Fang nodded, waving Vanille over. Once Lightning had explained the situation to Hope, they all walked to the car, climbing in. "So, Lightning…did you have fun?" Vanille asked, turning her head to get a glimpse of her pink-haired friend.

"Mm," she grunted slightly.

"You were getting along pretty well with Hope on the dance floor…"

"Vanille!"

"What? You can't deny the truth, can you?"

"It was just a _dance_," Hope said, sounding exasperated.

"Or a couple more," Vanille murmured, turning back around and sitting in her seat properly. Lightning shifted her head towards the window, trying to avoid any chance being caught blushing.

As they pulled into their driveway and thanked their friend for the ride, Lightning couldn't help but think about thought about Hope and how he had been at the wedding. His movements, his appearance…it was only one night that she hadn't seen him, but it was like the absence made her notice his appearance a little more when he appeared the next time. She took in how he finally seemed a lot more grown up now, slightly surprised at the realization.

_Of course he is,_ she thought. _He's nineteen now. Why wouldn't he be?_ _And why am I just noticing this?_

"Lightning?" Hope said her name once more, waving his hand in her face. "Anybody there?" She blinked, and realized that she had simply been standing in front of the door the whole time. "Sorry…"

"Are you okay?" Hope asked. "Is it because you didn't get much sleep last night? I'm sorry, this is my fault…"

"No, it's not that," Lightning said, waving it off. "I think it was the food or something, I'm just kind of dizzy." She lied, hiding the fact that she had been thinking about Hope and how he'd been…growing.

Concern immediately spread further over Hope's face, and it wasn't long before he was rushing her in the house. "You need some Advil or something. Hang on, I'll get it."

"Hope, I'm fine. I just need to lie down for a bit. And I already drank a lot of coffee this morning, so I'm not tired, don't worry." Ignoring Hope's expression, she walked to her room, locking the door behind her. She peeled off her dress, pulling the door on her closet open and hanging the red gown in place. She had sweated a lot during the party after all that dancing, and she searched her drawers for some simple clothes to wear after her shower. It was only seven at night, and there was no need to change into something to go to bed already. Bumping the drawer shut with her hip, she entered her bathroom, hopping into the shower once she laid her neatly folded clothes on the counter and removed the rest of her clothes.

Lightning walked out of her bedroom, fresh and dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple black T-shirt. Hope was sitting on the couch, watching the TV. He turned around. "Serah wanted me to tell you that she came over and dropped off the car and keys while you were taking a shower.

Lightning nodded curtly, slowly sauntering towards the kitchen.

_I need some water…_

She stepped into the kitchen, pulling the refrigerator open to retrieve a clear container of water. Instead, a jug of milk came spilling out, and she yelped, stepping back to avoid the white liquid splashing around. It poured over the floor, creating a massive wet mess.

"Damn it," she cursed.

"What happened?" Hope looked alarmed, standing at the entrance to the room.

"Apparently, someone forgot to screw the cap on the milk properly and left it leaning against the inside of the door," she scowled. Her eyes made it obvious who she was blaming for the accident.

"Lightning, I haven't touched the cereal or the milk for the past week. I think you might've been the one to do that this time," Hope slightly chuckled, immediately shutting up after he saw the glare of death that Lightning had shot. "Sorry, I'll help clean it up." He walked towards the cabinet, searching for something to clear the mess with.

"Um, Lightning?"

"What?"

"I think we're out of paper towels."

Lightning groaned. All she had wanted was some water, and this is what she got. "I'll go out and get some."

"What? But you're not feeling well. I can go get it instead-"

"I told you, I'm fine…I think I can drive a car, buy a couple rolls of paper towels, and come back here without a scratch, okay? The store's not that far, and it won't take long. Now stop worrying so much," she said, adding a smile while she grabbed her jacket and keys.

_He's always worrying,_ she thought to herself as she opened the car door. _It was my fault I made the mess, anyways._ Sitting down in the seat, she pulled the door shut and started the car.

The trip to the store was faster than she'd expected. The drive itself had taken no more than five minutes, and she was already heading back home with the needed materials sitting in the back row.

Her trip was stopped short.

An overwhelmingly loud _screeeeech _rang through her ears, making her wince, and the last thing Lightning saw before she crashed was a bright light directed at the left side of her car, at an odd angle. A motorcycle was speeding at an alarming pace, straight at her, and on the wrong side of the road.

It all happened so fast.

The vehicle slammed into her car, sending it skittering down the other side of the road. The glass shattered, and the airbag popped right in front of Lightning's face. She felt something warm and sticky dripping down her head and on her neck, and the car suddenly tilted and jerked; she was upside down, with blood running down her cheeks. The glass cut her skin, the stinging pain all over her arms.

Her head was throbbing.

There was blood everywhere.

Her vision was blurry.

And everything went black.


	3. Lost Memories

**Everyone, thank you for your reviews! I was really glad to see that you liked the story so far. And yes, I updated my last chapter rather quickly. I've had school off, so I have much more time on my hands. Unfortunately, it starts again tomorrow, so I'm a little worried on how that'll go…**

**I'm not very happy with this chapter. It didn't go the way I had originally planned, but I hope you like it, nonetheless.**

**I forgot to mention that this series is post-game, mostly IU. The only thing that's different is that I've decided to add Fang and Vanille (explained later throughout the story). I know it's a bold move, but please don't hate the change in the storyline too much…T_T**

**Anyways, please enjoy this new chapter! ^^**

* * *

Hope sat at the couch, lazily flipping through the channels. While Lightning had been gone out to buy some paper towels, he had grabbed a few towels of his own and soaked up the giant puddle of milk on the floor. He had to wring the white liquid out and wash the rather smelly pieces of cloth, leaving them out to dry on the back porch. It had been twenty minutes, and everything was clean and in order. So why wasn't Lightning here yet?

He sighed, turning off the TV. _There might have been some traffic or something,_ he told himself. _Just be patient._

As he laid down on the soft cushions of the couch, he thought of Lightning.

When his father had passed away, he was all alone. He was without a home nor family, the very situation sending him into a swirling pit of depression. He had lost his mother, and now he was without a father. Who would take him in? Who would be there for him after that? Where would he go?

He was all alone.

Until Lightning showed up.

At first, Serah and Snow had invited him to live with them. The cheerful atmosphere lifted his spirits a bit, and their kind actions made him feel better. However, Serah had just given birth to her child, Celina, and the welcoming of a new family member caused enough energy around the household to make Hope want to stay in his room forever. He was happy for the couple and wasn't bothered by the idea of a child, but the atmosphere didn't seem right. He was still depressed. He was mourning the death of his father. He needed his space, he needed time, and the second Lightning had come over to see the new baby, she saw what it was that he needed.

She immediately asked her sister if she could take in Hope instead, explaining that it was no bother and that it would be better for both him and Serah's new family. She agreed, and Hope was suddenly living with Lightning. She provided him with a home and words of comfort, consoling him when he needed it.

"You just need time, Hope. And you'll have plenty of it, don't worry."

Hope knew she understood what it was like to be orphaned, to be without parents. Familiarizing herself with the situation, she helped him work through the problem, comforting him and providing him with a new home.

"You're not alone anymore. I understand how you could feel that way, but you're not. I've lost people important to me, too, you know."

Hope slowly regained his bright aura, turning to Lightning when he needed someone to talk to. He knew that she'd experienced the same thing he did; after all, she had lost both her parents when she was fifteen. The pressure she had placed on herself to take care of Serah played a negative role on her part, but it helped her become stronger than she had been before, somehow helping her get through the situation.

And as Hope grew older, so did his feelings for Lightning. During his time on Gran Pulse as a l'Cie, he assumed it was a simple crush, one that any teenager would have on an older person that they admired.

But after three years of having the so-called crush on Lightning, he realized it was so much more than that.

He had been meaning to tell her, to confess, at some time or another, but he could never find the right way to. He'd waited until he was old enough and fully capable of being not a child, but a man to Lightning to let her know how he felt about her. Unfortunately, he just didn't know how to say it.

Frustrated, Hope let out a sigh, checking his phone. 8:10 PM. It was thirty minutes since Lightning left the house! Pressing 'dial' on her name, he waited for her to pick up.

_Ring…ring...ring…_

"We're sorry, but the number you are calling for is not available at the moment. Please try again later."

Hope ended the call and tried again, tapping his feet rapidly in anticipation.

_Ring…ring…_

"We're sorry, but the numbe-"

Click.

Hope tried once more, waiting for the sound of Lightning's voice to reach his ear.

"We're sor-"

No such luck.

He decided to give up and call her again later if she didn't return in ten minutes. He stood up and walked over to his room, keeping his door open in case he heard anyone knock or ring the doorbell.

Hope ran his fingers over the shelf in his room, searching for a book to read while he waited for his housemate's arrival. Picking out one about the history of Gran Pulse, he sat himself at his desk and started reading.

It wasn't long until his phone started ringing. Jumping at the sudden vibration, he looked at the name on the screen: Serah Farron. Disappointed at the lack of response from Lightning, he picked up the call.

"Hello?"

"Hope?"

"What's up?"

"It's…it's Lightning." Serah's voice sounded odd, like she was straining to speak clearly.

Hope felt his stomach do a little twist. It was obvious from her tone that something wasn't right. Despite the uneasiness starting to form in his gut, Hope responded, leaning forward in his chair.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Sh-she was in an accident..." Serah fumbled with her words, slightly starting to stutter.

It took Hope a moment to register what Serah had just said. Suddenly, his blood turned cold; he connected two and two together, and realized what had just happened.

"I got a call from the h-hospital telling me that…that sh-she had a run-in with a…a motorcycle…" Serah continued, breaking into a sob at the end of her sentence. "I woke up S-Snow, and we're going over to…" she stopped, unable to speak any longer.

Hope opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. He couldn't find the right words as they were tossed around in his head, jeering at him silently. After what seemed like forever, he spoke.

"Serah…Serah, calm down," Hope said, aware of the slight crack in his voice when he said her name. He tried to get her to respond, but all he heard were brief cries. Suddenly, the sound of shuffling echoed on the other line.

"Hello?" a deeper voice rang through. It was Snow.

"Snow? Is Lightning…is Lightning okay?" Hope asked, afraid of hearing the dreaded words.

"I don't know," Snow replied, his voice strained. It was the same tone that Serah had used, and Hope had the sudden urge to end the call and shut the phone off. He didn't want to know what had happened to Lightning. It was terrifying, standing in his room and being told that his friend was in a car accident. But he had to know. He had to know, to make sure she was okay.

"They called Serah, and asked her if she was Lightning's sister," Snow took a deep breath, trying to speak clearly. "She said, 'Yeah, I am,' so they told her what happened. She almost passed out. They told us where Lightning was transported to, and…we're going to…we're going to drive over and take you with us, okay? You probably don't have a ride because of the accident, and we figured you should know because…because you live with her." Snow was much calmer than his wife, struggling to keep his words together but succeeding nonetheless. It was unknown from the hesitation in his last words whether he was going to say something else or he was just plain nervous, but Hope didn't care. All he did was press 'end', grab his jacket, stuff his phone in his pocket, and bolt out the front door. Locking the door with his keys behind him, he stood on the front porch, waiting for his companions to arrive.

After a few minutes, the couple arrived in their car. Hope immediately jumped in, climbing into the backseat in silence. Snow turned around and nodded, his expression painful. His lips were set in a tight, thin line, and his eyes held worry behind them.

Serah, on the other hand, was shaking uncontrollably, crying as she covered her face with her hands. Hope put a hand on her shoulder, comforting her wordlessly as they drove to the hospital.

* * *

Once they got there, all three of them bolted out of the car, running as fast as they could to the entrance of the emergency department. They reached the front office, asking for directions to the patient 'Lightning Farron'.

"Farron? You mean the patient in the car accident?" she asked.

"Yes," Hope answered. The nurse bit her lip, closing her eyes for a second to recall the situation. "You need to speak with Dr. Hightower. You can find him outside room 1-C, which is right down the hallway over there to your left." She pointed her finger in the according direction, indicating where the room was.

Hope thanked her, going as fast as he could with Serah and Snow by his side. They reached a turn with a room marked '1-C', a single window in the door. Hope peered into it, hoping to see someone, but to no avail.

"Where is he?" he looked around, searching for the doctor the nurse had mentioned before.

A nurse walking by noticed the party of three's frantic search for the doctor. "Can I help you?" she asked, approaching them.

"Yeah, we're looking for Dr. Hightower? Someone told us to find him after we asked about a patient named Lightning Farron," Snow said.

"Let's see…" the nurse trailed off, flipping through her clipboard. "Oh, he's operating right now. It might take him a bit longer than usual, so you'll have to wait outside right here."

"How long will it take?"

"Maybe around four to five hours, at most. Would you like anything while you're waiting? We can get you some water, if you like," the nurse said, slightly eyeing Serah as she spoke. She was sobbing and clutching Snow as if she were clinging on for dear life.

"Water's fine, thank you," Snow answered, his voice still overwrought with anxiety.

Hope slowly turned around, walking over and dropping in one of the blue chairs outside the room. Everything had happened so fast, it seemed like a blur.

_Please be okay._

Lightning had been in a car crash. An accident.

An accident.

The words sounded so alien, so strange, so wrong.

_Please be okay._

This couldn't be happening. Lightning was not bleeding in a room full of surgeons and unfamiliar tools hovering around her body. She was not lying on table in an operation room. She was not in surgery.

Hope desperately wanted to deny the fact, but it was pathetic to even try. He leaned forward, putting his head in his hands.

_Please, please be okay._

* * *

It had been two hours since they had arrived at the hospital. Serah had finally stopped crying, her body limp and eyes puffy from the tears. Snow was sitting in his seat, his eyes fixated on the armrest.

Hope sat, wondering about all the answers that they could possibly get from the doctor they were waiting for.

How injured would she be?

Would she be able to go back to how she was before the accident?

Would she be able to continue her work as a soldier?

Would she live?

The list went on endlessly. Each new possibility either gave him hope or froze his heart.

The three sat in silence, each pondering the fate of their friend.

* * *

It had been four hours now. Hope was stricken with worry even worse than before, now pacing back and forth as he waited for someone to come and at least tell them what Lightning's condition was_._ He couldn't stand sitting around any longer. Gritting his teeth, he turned around, about to run out and look for someone else, when he heard a man speak in his direction. "Are you three here for Claire Farron?"

Hope looked up to see a man dressed in green scrubs, holding a clipboard with a mask around his neck. Snow and Serah stood up the second they saw him, rushing in his direction. They didn't bother to correct him on her name. Not yet, at least.

"How is she?" Snow asked, jumping straight to the point.

The man ran through a list of Lightning's injuries, careful not to shock or frighten the people waiting so desperately for his answer in front of him.

"...broken arm, dislocated shoulder, mild head trauma…" Serah's face completely drained of its color, her face dead serious.

"She lost a lot of blood, and we had to use some from the hospital. We had numerous surgeons working on her," the doctor continued, explaining the situation somewhat tensely. "She almost didn't make it, but…" he shook his head, smiling. "She's able to function normally, with the exception of a broken arm. There's nothing else that's wrong with her that we've noticed as of late."

A heavy weight slowly lifted itself off of Hope's chest as he heard the man speak. He could see Snow and Serah breathe sighs of relief, finally able to relax. Lightning was okay. She was going to live.

She was alive.

"It's a miracle that she survived. It's incredible, really. She managed to get away with only a broken arm and numerous cuts on her skin. We have to run more scans and keep her in the hospital for now. It's past midnight, and I suggest you all go home and come back tomorrow."

It took Hope, not to mention Serah, a while to be persuaded to finally return home and get some "proper rest". They both stubbornly refused until they fully were convinced that Lightning would be alright in the hospital alone. She would get lots of rest and be in a much better condition by tomorrow, they were told. Besides, there were plenty of nurses around to take care of her if she had any problems.

As Snow and Serah drove Hope back to his house, they quietly discussed what time they should meet the next day. In the end, they all agreed on sometime around one in the afternoon, at the front desk. Snow would contact all of NORA and let them know what happened, bringing them along with Sazh, Vanille, and Fang. Still feeling a bit uneasy, Hope thanked them for the ride and started to tread up the steps to his home, exhausted from the trip.

_I hope she'll be okay._

* * *

The next morning, Hope walked through the entrance of the hospital, his mind still somewhat hazy from the sleep he had gotten the previous night.

He had found any chance of "getting proper rest" impossible, his mind automatically flipping back to Lightning whenever he lied down to close his eyes. Worry followed his thoughts wherever they went, clouding them with anxiety. He eventually gave in to the heavy weight in his body and drifted off, only to wake up much later than he had expected.

"At least I wasn't late..." he muttered to himself. In fact, he was the first one there, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as he waited for his friends' arrivals.

It wasn't long before the automatic doors slid open and Fang and Vanille arrived, the redhead holding a bouquet of roses and a "_Get Well_" balloon. They looked around for someone they knew, and waved when they saw Hope.

"Hope!" Vanille ran over, giving him a small hug. "Is Lightning okay?" Her usual smile was replaced with a tense expression, her brow scrunched in worry.

He nodded. "I think so. I mean, I'm pretty sure. It's what the doctor told us, anyways," he added, muttering under his breath. He silently took in the flowers and balloon she had been holding, wondering if he should have gotten Lightning something as well. He eventually left the thought alone (though with some regret), telling himself that there was no going back and buying a gift now.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to her," Vanille said quietly, lowering her head. "I mean, yesterday we were all having fun at Yeul's wedding, and now…it happened so fast…" Fang patted her back, looking at Hope. "It's Lightning. She'll hold up, no matter what you think. Who do you think it was that lead our group when we were all fighting for Cocoon?" Hope had to admit, she had a point there. Even after they had defeated Orphan, she resumed her duties as a soldier. Most of them had thought she'd had enough of fighting and battles, but she just went back to her regular life, serving her home once more. It made her seem a bit tougher, if possible, proving her strong demeanor altogether.

The sound of clattering doors had the three of them lifting their heads to see who it was. Snow, Serah, and all of NORA walked in, bickering over something rather trivial. They were unaware of the looks directed towards them as the group forming next to the front desk grew larger and louder.

"Hey, guys," Snow said. Serah was holding Celina by the hand, silently counting the number of heads in the area. "Where's Sazh?" she asked once she finished. She turned around and shushed the boys in Snow's group as she struggled to hear herself speak. They immediately became quiet, trying to avoid irritating their leader's wife and ignoring Lebreau's audible snickering. They had been through that enough times to know when to listen to Serah's words, trying to evade any chance of her snapping into another Lightning. In a way, she could be as scary as her sister, though not as worse.

Hope shrugged, his attention briefly diverted towards Celina, who was tugging on her mother's skirt. "Mommy, why are we here?"

"I told you, Celi. We're here to see Aunt Lightning."

"Why don't we go to Auntie Claire's house? Why here?"

"Because she…got hurt," Serah replied softly, pausing mid-sentence. "And not 'Claire', Celi. It's 'Lightning'."

"Auntie Claire!" Celina burst out, beaming. It was hard to correct her when she was so happy, and Serah laughed at her daughter's sudden unreasonable excitement. The positive change in her mood gave Hope the impression that she had gotten noticeably better since last night. It seemed that she had no doubts about the doctor's words when he had told them her sister was going to be fine. "All right, then. But don't call her that when you're with her, okay?"

Celina nodded rapidly, smiling as she looked around. "Dajh!" she exclaimed at the sight of her friend walking in. His face brightened in return as they ran towards each other and hugged, starting to chatter nonstop about how excited they were.

"Hey," Sazh said, waving a hand. "How's Lightning?" he asked Snow.

"They told us she'd be fine after a good night's rest. I'm sure she's doing okay," he said with a note of hesitation in his voice. He turned around in response to a sharp tap on his shoulder. A woman dressed in colorful scrubs with floral accents was standing behind him, scowling. "Are you all here for Claire Farron?" she asked. "Lightning Farron," Snow corrected her.

"Well, you're permitted to see her now. And please be more considerate of your surroundings. Some people have been complaining about the noise."

Snow apologized, and counted the number of people present, making sure everyone was there.

"All right, guys. Listen up," Snow's voice was loud and clear, causing everyone else to focus their attention back on him. "This morning, we called you guys to let you know that…that Lightning was in an accident." A wave of silence rippled through the group, the atmosphere now more serious than before. "But we're all going to go in and greet her with a smile on our faces, because we know she's okay."

"She is okay, right?" Lebreau murmured, only to be hushed by her boss. "She's fine," he said. "I know it." Serah nodded in agreement, clutching her daughter's hand. "Now let's go!"

The nurse led them through and down the hallway, coming to a stop when she reached a room labeled "Farron".

She lightly rapped the white wood with her knuckles, letting the patient inside know she was about to come in. "Miss Farron, you have guests."

She held the handle on the door, turning it and pushing the entrance open. As he walked in, Hope could see more and more of the room starting to appear. A table and curtain made their way into his field of vision, and eventually a bed came into view, in which a woman was sitting.

Lightning sat propped up against her pillow, peering out the window instead of at her new visitors. She turned her head slowly, and the first person she managed to look at was Hope.

He stood, stunned at the sight of a rather healthy Lightning lying in bed. A bandage was wrapped around her head, making her hair fluff slightly at the top. Her arms were wrapped in white cloth, and one of them was placed in a blue sling that hung from her neck. Inside the sling was a black cast, containing her broken arm. The rest of Lightning, however, seemed miraculously fine for someone who had been in a car accident with a motorcycle.

"Light!" Hope exclaimed. He bolted at full speed, faster than he had ever moved before, and in a second he was hugging her tightly. "Are you feeling any better? Does it still hurt anywhere? I'm so sorry." He spoke rapidly, relieved at the sight of his friend. She was alive and in his arms, breathing and blinking. He shut his eyes tight, feeling them sting.

Hope pulled away slowly, taking a good look at Lightning before holding her again. "Thank the Maker you're alive." He vaguely heard someone cough awkwardly in the presence of the two bundled tightly together. His cheeks heated up slightly in embarrassment, but he didn't care. All that mattered was that Lightning was there.

He felt her hands lift, half expecting them to wrap around him as well; but instead, they came to his chest, slightly pushing him away.

"Light…?" Hope trailed off at her name. He moved back a few inches, looking at her. Her face showed no sign of happiness or positive response to his greeting; instead, she seemed utterly puzzled at the situation. As she opened her mouth to speak, her eyes darted up and down, inspecting Hope with a kind of wonder he had never seen before.

"Who are you?"


	4. Visiting

**Hey, guys! I'm sorry for the delay. Right after I got back from school, I got a huge chunk of homework and a test I had to study for **T_T

**I promise that the next chapter will be uploaded faster (and be longer) than this was. In the meantime, please enjoy ^^**

* * *

"Who are you?"

Hope stared at Lightning, unmoving.

"Light…?"

"Who…" she trailed off, slowly pulling his arm away from her shoulder. "Who are you calling Light? My name's Claire." She turned around, looking back at the nurse who had escorted Hope and his friends to her room. "You told me that my name was Claire, Sandra. Wasn't it?" Sandra nodded, biting her lip nervously at the somewhat awkward situation.

Hope was stuck in the same position as before, his eyes fixated on the woman standing in front of him. Lightning had just called herself Claire. That never happened. She refused to call herself by that name.

So why was she doing it now?

"This isn't funny, Light." He waited for her to suddenly crack a small smile and say something like, "Gotcha" and reveal it all as some sort of a joke, but she didn't. All she did was stare back at him, her expression still contorted in confusion.

Behind Hope stood his friends, their eyes widened in shock. Serah had placed her hands over her mouth, her shoulders raised next to her head while she gasped. Vanille's eyes were so big, it was a wonder that they hadn't fallen out of her head, while Fang covered her face with her hands, groaning, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Are you…are you serious?" Hope croaked. "You really…really don't remember me?" Lightning slowly nodded, her eyes still on Hope. Serah buried her head into her husband's shoulder, starting to cry silently as Snow comforted her, holding Celina's wrist with his other hand. The young girl, only five years old, was entirely oblivious of the ongoing tension in the situation right before her eyes. She let go of her father's hand and skipped over to Lightning, greeting her aunt with a smile.

"Auntie Claire!" Celina beamed, failing to remember Serah's instructions on what to call her aunt.

Lightning finally removed her eyes from Hope and looked at the small child, slightly bewildered. "Auntie…Claire?" She seemed genuinely surprised; it really did look like she forgot everything. "Do I know you?"

Serah, who was visibly shaken, let out a sob when her sister's words reached her ears. Lightning's eyes flickered over to her, her expression unreadable. She turned to look over at the others that had come to visit her, only for all of them to be shocked by the unexpected surprise.

"I don't know any of you..." her eyes darted back and forth between the faces in front of her, examining each of them. "Have we met before?"

Serah was now hysterical, and her cries finally snapped the rest of her friends out of the trance they had been in for the past few minutes. Hope turned around, staring at Sandra in disbelief. "Is this for real? She can't even…she can't even remember her own niece! How did this happen? And why didn't anyone tell us about this?"

Sandra started to stutter, her words joined together or cut off at random parts, making it hard to understand what she was saying. The overwhelming wave of confusion mixed in with shock had swept over the whole room, affecting everyone in it except for the children. "Well, I thought…I thought…she was supposed to…"

Sandra flushed, clutching her clipboard and pulling it closer to her chest. She whipped around and hollered through the open door, trying to control her voice as she did so. "N-Natalie! Natalie, get in here."

A few moments later, a short woman with bright red hair appeared, looking a bit tired. "What?" she asked in irritation.

"I thought you told _them_," Sandra said, gesturing to Lightning's visitors, "about Ms. Farron's _incident_." She put emphasis on the word _incident_, referring to her patient's apparent memory loss.

"Wha…?" Natalie stood for a minute, running through her memory to recall such directions given to her by her fellow co-worker. "I don't remember you saying anything like that."

"Dr. Hightower told me to tell you to contact her family to let them know what happened. What were you doing this whole time?" Sandra snapped at Natalie, quickly glancing at Serah while she did so. The small, sobbing woman looked up, startled at Sandra's claim. Apparently, she hadn't gotten any notice of Lightning losing her memory before now.

"Well, I-" Natalie began, but was abruptly cut off by Fang. "Enough!" she said sharply. "We don't care whether or not you forgot to let us know about Lightning's damned condition. Just tell us where the old man is, and we'll speak with him ourselves." Hope nodded, shaking off the hazy feeling that had washed over him. He turned around to face his companions.

Lightning, meanwhile, had been sitting in her bed the whole time, watching the whole scene unfold. She watched Serah with some discomfort. Was she crying because of her? The thought made her squirm slightly with guilt. And who was that small blonde girl who had called her "Auntie Claire"? Her niece? But she didn't have any siblings.

Or did she?

* * *

"I'm very sorry," Dr. Hightower said, his face apologetic. "I really thought that Natalie had let you know by now…I asked her to contact you this morning to schedule an appointment so I could explain all this after I was done with my last operation, too, but apparently she forgot." The doctor sighed in frustration, exasperated at his assistant's hopeless behavior.

The whole gang was in his office, the wide space providing room for everyone to fit within the white walls. They had all sat down, requiring more chairs to be moved in so that everyone was comfortable. Fang was the only one who was standing, leaning against the wall as the doctor explained.

"It's alright…" Serah said, sniffing a bit. Her tears had ceased after she had been calmed down with some water, finally able to speak clearly.

"If you already knew she had amnesia, why didn't you tell us last night?" Hope asked.

"I didn't," Hightower corrected Hope, sighing again. "She had woken up briefly, but she went right back to sleep after we had taken some short tests on her. It was only after this morning that we realized what had happened, and after that, I notified Sandra to have her find my assistant and have her contact Mrs. Villiers about Ms. Farron's condition. But now, this happened…" he removed his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose gingerly before putting them back on again.

"So…she can't remember anything? Anything at all?" Snow asked.

Hightower nodded. "I'm afraid so," he said. "She doesn't have any memory of events that took place before now, nor does she have any memory of her surroundings, including the people she used to know. I've never seen anything like this before."

Maqui snorted from the row of chairs further back, causing everyone to turn heads. "Sounds like something from a soap opera," he said. He shrunk back when he felt the burn from the nasty glares directed towards his head, and Lebreau rolled her eyes. "Don't pay any attention to him. He's an idiot," she said, ignoring Maqui's exclamation of protest ("Hey!"). "Go on." She gestured for Hightower to proceed.

"The only conditions that I've treated related to this one would be Alzheimer's or dementia. I discussed possible forms of treatment with the other doctors, but based on the brain scans that we gathered, I'm afraid we could only come up with one solution for now."

"Is it any special medication or…or some form of surgery?" Vanille leaned in, hope tingeing the words of her somewhat naïve question.

Hightower shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's no form of treatment that can be physically taken for this condition. In order to have your friend recover completely, you'll have to wait and try to trigger past events from her life. I would suggest trying to bring back objects or places of significant importance to her so as to help her regain her memory."

"Is that really the only way?" Serah asked, her voice getting weak as she spoke. "What if she…" she trailed off, afraid to say more. She swallowed, and continued. "What if she doesn't remember?"

The doctor tapped his fingers against his wooden desk, looking at the scattered pieces of paper dispersed across the brown surface. "If she doesn't remember…we're not very sure what to do about that."

The whole room was silent. Dr. Hightower fidgeted slightly, flicking the corners of the paper. The atmosphere was now extremely uncomfortable, and the deafening silence roared in their ears.

Suddenly, the phone on his desk started to ring, breaking the silence. Relieved at the interruption, he nodded towards his patients, taking the call and motioning that their meeting was over. Wordlessly, they shuffled out of the room, the only sound being Hightower's words directed towards the phone.

"What a rude doctor," Vanille said. "He just takes the call in the middle of a meeting? And not to mention kicking us out like that. Unbelievable."

"Well, it was technically over," Yuj responded. He glanced nervously at Hope, his eyes glued the floor as he walked out.

"Hope?"

He didn't respond.

"Oh, cheer up. Lightning'll get her memory back soon. We just need to try hard enough, and she'll be fine," Yuj said, putting a hand on Hope's shoulder. He stood in the same spot, his expression covered by thick silver tufts of hair.

"Hope…?"

Suddenly, he straightened up, looking ahead.

"Let's go back."

"What? To the doctor? He's not going to help-"

"To see Lightning."

Yuj removed his hand from Hope's shoulder, surprised at the sudden decision. "Right now? Not that I don't want to, but…now?" he said, his voice ringing with hesitation.

Hope nodded. He turned around to face Serah and the others. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"Look, guys. I know it might seem like there's no way Lightning's ever going to remember everything or fully recover…but you can't know for sure, unless you try."

Serah, who had been holding Celina by the hand while she walked alongside her husband, stopped and looked at Hope.

"The only way that we can see whether or not she'll remember is by trying," he continued, meeting her eyes.

"Someone once told me that…that it's not a question of can or can't. There are some things in life that you just do." He paused, letting out a breath of air as he did so.

"So…I'm going to try. I'm going to try and help her."

The determined expression lying behind his eyes practically called out to his friends as they murmured amongst themselves.

Serah gave a sad smile and nodded, tightening the grip on her daughter's hand. "We're with you, Hope. You're not alone." Hope's expression relaxed a bit, the tension in his lips releasing as he heard Serah speak. "I'm going to help sis so that she'll…so that she'll remember. No matter how long it takes, I'm going to do it."

Hope smiled.

"Let's go."

Serah looked back at her husband before she started to walk with Hope, signaling for him to come along.

Snow grinned, walking faster to catch up with his wife. Encouraged by the noticeably more hopeful atmosphere, Vanille and Fang followed, along with Sazh and his eleven-year-old, who ran to keep up with the pace. The only ones left behind were the members of NORA, who stood in silence as they watched the others go ahead.

"Well, see you later," Lebreau said, slightly jogging in a hurry to join her boss and her companions.

"What? You're going, too?" Yuj said. Lebreau raised her hand as a sign of affirmation, not looking back as her friend tried to get her to turn around.

Gadot shook his head, slightly chuckling as a small smile started to creep up his face. He walked along to catch up with Lebreau, taking his time as he took each step.

"Hey, wait!" Yuj called out, but to no avail. He was now left alone with Maqui.

Maqui gave a small cough, the sound resonating between the two as they stood outside the office door. "Um…"

"I suppose you're going to join them, aren't you?" Yuj said, exasperated.

Maqui nodded and slowly took a step forward, moving into a trot as he went on. Yuj rolled his eyes and lingered, pondering what to do.

"I know you're scared of her, Yuj!" Maqui called out, briefly turning around before breaking into a run. Yuj flinched at the holler and flushed a bright red, the pink in his cheeks still apparent after he regained his composure.

"Am not!"

"Oh, yeah? Let's see you walk in that room of hers with the rest of us."

"You…" Yuj grit his teeth. "Fine. How about this? Let's see you run before I kill you."

Maqui suddenly ran faster than ever before, ducking to escape his friend's clutches before being choked in a headlock. Yuj eventually let go after Maqui had learned his lesson, smirking in satisfaction from the number of "I'm sorry"s that reached his ears. Rubbing his neck, Maqui looked at his friend. There was a moment of silence before they burst out laughing.

They walked together to the hospital room, chattering all the way through.


	5. Return

**Hey, guys! As promised, the update is eaaaarlier than before:) I'm glad you enjoyed my last chapter, though it was unexpected ^^;;; And yes, Maqui and Yuj are pretty much the ultimate clowns of FFXIII. xD They were the most reluctant out of all the members of NORA to help Lightning, but it was out of a rather comical type of fear, as in "She's gonna kick my ass" fear. It's not to be taken very seriously, and Snow's not afraid to crack a joke around her because, well…he's been on a looong journey with her on Gran Pulse, and he's certainly spent a lot more time with her than any of the other members of NORA. **

**Anyways, please enjoy this chapter. I'd also appreciate any reviews, no matter how short they are:)**

* * *

"I'm your sister."

Lightning sat up in her bed, the lower half of her body tucked under the covers as Serah introduced herself.

"So…you're telling me that I have a sister. Which means…she's my niece?" Lightning said, turning her head towards Celina. The small girl was holding her mother's hand, nodding excitedly. She didn't seem to understand that her aunt had lost her memory, but responded to the question nevertheless.

"How old am I?" Lightning asked. Serah smiled a bit, about to respond to the somewhat entertaining question. Taking a moment to hold back a giggle, she answered. "You're 25, Lightning."

"Oh." Lightning paused for a second, slowly taking in the information as she did so. "Who is he?" she asked, pointing to the tall blonde man standing next to her sister.

Snow grinned, casually putting his hands behind his head as he strove for the second chance at making a proper first impression on his wife's sister. "Snow. Nice to meet you," he said. "I'm your brother-in-law."

Lightning nodded curtly and swiftly turned to the other people standing in the room, starting to ask about them as well. Snow's face dropped at the oblivious motion, having been expecting something more. Fang patted his back sympathetically, holding back a chuckle as she told him to let it go.

Not noticing Snow's pathetic expression, Lightning looked at Maqui, who let out a small, very manly _eep_ and jumped, trying to scoot discreetly behind Gadot's giant figure and out of Lightning's line of vision. She merely raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when Snow suddenly jumped in. "That's my gang, NORA. That's Maqui, Yuj, Lebreau, and that's Gadot." He spoke rapidly, pointing to each of his friends as he spoke. It was obvious from his tone that he knew how the situation would go if Lightning started a conversation with either of the pair that had walked in last.

Lebreau rolled her eyes at the way Maqui and Yuj coughed awkwardly and advanced forward, grinned. "Nice to meet you," she said, putting out a hand. Lightning slowly took it, shaking it briefly before letting go. Gadot, who could hold up relatively better than his fellow male teammates, gave a small wave of the hand and a smile. He heard the chuckles behind him as he breathed a sigh of relief after Lightning turned away, but he merely shook his head and straightened up the second that she looked back.

"And you're…" she trailed off, looking at Fang and Vanille.

"I'm Vanille," the redhead waved, beaming. "And this is Fang," she gestured to her tall friend. Fang nodded, grinning. "Nice to see you getting better, Light."

"Light?" Lightning repeated. She looked around, hoping for an explanation. "Seriously, why is everyone calling me this? I thought my name was Claire."

"Your real name's Claire," she heard a voice say. Lightning's head swiveled around to meet Hope's eyes, and she realized that he was the only one that she hadn't gotten to before now.

"You're the guy that ran in here before," Lightning said. The green eyes and silver hair…he was the one that had hugged her. Hope blushed as he recalled the memory, looking away as he muttered something under his breath. He looked back up, some of the pink in his cheeks fading as he spoke. "Sorry about that," he said.

Lightning waved it off, letting him know it wasn't a big deal. Trying to get back to the point, she asked again. "If my name's Claire, then why is everyone calling me Lightning?"

"You made that name for yourself," Hope answered.

"What?" Lightning said, puzzled. "Why would I do that?"

Hope looked to Serah, asking for some help in answering the difficult question. She cleared her throat, shaking her head as she told him silently: _Later_.

Hope turned back to Lightning, scratching his neck slightly. "Um…it's kind of a long story. We'll tell you later," he said, jutting his chin in Serah's direction. "But you decided to call yourself Lightning, not Claire. By the way, I'm Hope."

Lightning, though still somewhat confused, decided to drop the subject and move on, taking a moment to think of her next question.

"What was it like before I forgot?" she asked. As she said it, she became aware of how childish the question sounded, but ignored the very miniscule sense of humiliation tingling in her stomach.

"Girl wants to know everything, does she?" Sazh said, chuckling.

"She just lost her memory," Vanille chirped. "It's only natural that she'd want to know." Sazh merely shrugged, still smiling as they waited for an answer amongst one of them.

No one spoke.

"Your question is a little too general for an exact answer, Lightning," Serah said softly. "What do you mean?"

Lightning shrugged. "I don't know…maybe the basic details of my life or something?"

Serah thought for a minute, pondering her thoughts while Lightning waited for an answer.

"Well, for starters, you're a soldier in New Bodhum…"

"I'm a soldier?" Lightning repeated, stunned. "How?"

"What do you mean, 'how'? You just kind of…joined," Serah said, her vague answer not giving much of an explanation.

Lightning's expression was still one of surprise, her eyes widened and ears perked at the news. Hope found it hard to control the small bit of laughter about to escape his throat as he watched her face, slightly turning to the side to avoid any sign of suspicion as he fought to control himself. Serah rolled her eyes, Hope's attempt to cover his laugh failing.

"You're also living with Hope," she continued, pointing to the silver-haired man standing by Lightning's bed. He suddenly turned around, the smile on his face now replaced with a flustered expression. "Serah!" he exclaimed.

"What? You can't expect her to come home and suddenly find out she's living with a guy she can't remember," Serah said, matter-of-factly. Hope continued to blush, avoiding Lightning's eyes. Stupid! Why couldn't he control the hot feeling crawling up his cheeks? He cursed himself for not beating down the heat sooner.

"Speaking of home, when are you allowed to come back?" Snow asked. "We don't want to miss out on a chance to get back to living with our good old sis," he said, winking.

"They said I could leave the hospital by tomorrow," Lightning said flatly. Snow blinked, not expecting the answer he had just heard. "Wait. Tomorrow? That early?"

Lightning nodded. "They said that since my injuries weren't that bad, I could go back home early."

Serah's face immediately changed, now more serious than before. "Are you sure you don't want to stay any longer?" she asked with a note of worry in her voice. "I mean…" she bit her lip. "Doesn't it…hurt anywhere?"

Lightning shook her head, taking a glance at her broken arm. "Not really," she said. "They prescribed a special medication for me, and the cuts don't hurt anymore. They said I can take off the bandages by around three weeks. They weren't that deep," she added, noticing Serah's eyes starting to scrunch in speculation.

"Wait, what about your head?" Vanille piped in, pointing to the thin cloth wrapped around Lightning's head.

Lightning sighed somewhat impatiently. "I had a small bruise on the side of my forehead. For some reason, they decided to wrap it all the way around, but it's not as bad as it looks."

Serah continued to stare at her sister, doubt lingering in her face.

"I can't even feel it," Lightning insisted.

The doubt left, but her sister wasn't fully convinced. Even so, she remained satisfied…for now, at least.

"So," Hope spoke up, only to pause and linger on his words for a minute. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

"To be honest, there's a lot that I could ask, but right now I'm just kind of tired. I didn't get much sleep, and the nurses kept driving me for some tests all morning, not to mention some scans," Lightning said. "I'll probably ask the next time I see you."

"The next time?"

Lightning pointed to the clock on the wall. "Sandra said I'd have to get another checkup by now."

Right on cue, a light knocking had everyone's heads swiveling in its direction, eyes meeting Sandra as the door swung open. Standing at the wooden frame, she peered at Lightning's visitors, eyeing Snow and the rest of NORA with slight suspicion as she recalled the racket they had created earlier at the front office. Looking back at her patient, she cleared her throat. "Ms. Farron, it's time for your checkup."

Lightning nodded, letting her friends know it was time for them to leave. "You guys should probably get back home now," she said.

"What? But we only got to-" Serah began, but was suddenly cut off by Lightning.

"I'm probably going to get some rest after this. And I'm pretty sure you guys don't want to wait for three hours outside my room," Lightning said somewhat drowsily.

Sazh nodded from behind. "Soldier needs her sleep," he said. "And it looks like the kids aren't too awake, either."

Hope looked at Celina, who was rubbing her eye with a fisted hand. "It's only two in the afternoon," he pointed out.

"Celina didn't get much sleep yesterday. She woke up at five in the morning and stayed up all the way after that. I don't know how she does it, but she always ends up crashing in the afternoon when it happens," Serah said.

Hope sighed. Having known that Lightning was now healthy and feeling better, much to his relief, he had cut down half of the anxiety building up in his gut, now able to relax slightly better than usual. However, he could feel the approaching sense of doubt, causing questions to fly around in his head as he would sit around at home. What if she wouldn't remember? What if she stayed like this? What if-

_No,_ he told himself firmly. _Lightning _will_ remember. Stop worrying._

"Hope?"

Hope snapped out of his daze, lifting his head to see Vanille staring at him outside of the hospital room. "Are you okay? We lost you for a second there."

"'m fine," Hope muttered. Turning around to look back at Lightning, he waved, letting her know he'd see her the next day. She returned the gesture somewhat hesitantly, only getting a glimpse of him as Sandra shut the door.

* * *

"Let me carry that for you, sis."

"No, it's fine. I can do it myself."

"Your arm's broken."

"I'm fine, Snow."

Snow only stuck his hand out again, letting Lightning know he wasn't going to take no for an answer. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Thrusting his hand out once more, Snow continued to insist on holding the small bag full of Lightning's medication and other needs for her slightly battered condition. She proceeded to ignore her brother-in-law, pulling open the car door and climbing in to sit down on the soft seat.

Hope, Serah, and Snow were all standing in the parking lot in front of Snow's car, the silver-haired man reading a sheet of paper listing Lightning's daily medicine intake while Serah buckled her daughter into the pink car seat. Hope stepped into the vehicle and took his spot, stuffing the paper in his pocket. Serah followed suit, with Snow being the last one climb in to the driver's seat.

"Did you catch up on some of your sleep?" Serah asked, positively beaming. Having her sister finally back was enough to lift her spirits by a mile, and Hope grinned as he watched Serah's face switch back and forth from pure joy to excitement.

"I feel a bit better than yesterday," Lightning replied. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt, provided by none other than her sister, who had invaded Lightning's closet the night before. "Where's everyone else?" she asked.

"Hm?" Serah hummed. "Oh, you mean NORA and the others? They said they'd visit later today, since they're kind of busy. Today's Monday, you know."

"Oh. Right."

In a few minutes, they all reached Lightning's house, stepping out of the car once Snow had parked in the driveway. Taking her bag with her, she took a good look at the two-story home.

The house was painted a light shade of beige, with a small driveway and closed garage. Windows were scattered here and there, giving the impression of a standard, regular-sized home. The wooden porch was spread out in front of the building, allowing space for any person to casually sit down and rest. The grass on the sides added a touch of green in the midst of summer, giving off a casual, warm feeling.

"Like it?" Lightning heard Serah say. She turned around to see her sister hoisting Celina out of her seat and onto the pavement, smiling as she let go. "You and I grew up here when we were kids."

"It's nice…" Lightning said softly, looking back up at the structure. She assumed that Serah had decided to move in with Snow, which was why she had the house to herself and the boy with the green eyes.

_What was his name again?_ Lightning asked herself, trying to remember. _Crap. I can't ask him now, that'd be awkward…_

"Hope, do you have the keys?" Lightning's ears twitched at the name, looking back to see Snow hopping out of the driver's seat.

_Hope. So that's his name._

"Yeah, uh…" Hope's voice echoed through and out the car as he shuffled around, looking for the keys in his pocket. Stalling, there was a distant sound of clinking as he searched for the missing items. "Here they are," he said. He stepped out of the vehicle, pushing the door shut.

Hope looked around, briefly scanning the home in his line of vision as Lightning had done. He suddenly caught her eyes, breaking into a small smile as he did so.

"Let's go," he said, nodding towards their home.

* * *

Serah squealed loudly, holding a framed photo of her and Lightning as children. "Oh my gosh! Do you still have this photo of us?"

"Er…" Lightning scratched her neck at the awkward sight of her sister bouncing around and off the walls. "I guess so. I mean, I don't remember, of course, but…"

"This is so cuuuuute!" Serah exclaimed. The emotional overload she had gotten from having her sister back from the hospital had overwhelmed her, giving off the impression that she had just downed five whole cans of Red Bull.

"I didn't expect you to keep it, whenever I brought it up your face would kind of go red and you'd change the subject, I don't know why you'd be embarrassed but you always looked so cute when you were a kid—not that you don't look cute now but oh my gosh look at you-"

Lightning silently wondered where Serah got all her energy. It was like a female, pink-haired Tasmanian Devil had launched into her room and seized her things, stomping her feet and producing loud squeals of delight while fawning over them. Looking around in hopes of something to drag her away from the rather one-sided conversation, Lightning's eyes rested on another picture lying on her desk.

Slowly approaching it, she lifted the light frame off the wooden surface, eyeing it with curiosity. She saw herself dressed in a light uniform consisting of a white vest, a belt wrapped around her middle and a brown, zip-up turtleneck underneath. A miniskirt reached halfway up her thighs, and the whole get-up seemed slightly suffocating for someone who was at the beach.

A brightly lit sunset caused a slight lens flare in the corner of the picture, light reflecting off the ocean resting behind her. Next to Lightning stood Hope, dressed in a casual T-shirt and shorts that hung around his knees. The smile on his face was evident, while Lightning's lips were just barely raised at the corners, enough to give a hint of a smile. The way Hope's arm was thrown over Lightning's shoulder made her wonder how close they had been, considering that they were living with each other. However, her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of Serah's voice dragged her back to reality.

"-and I just think this is going to be so fun, maybe we can all go downtown and visit Lebreau's bar for a night once we all get settled down and have someone babysit Celina while we're gone, and maybe we can even go _swimming_ once your cast is removed, but before the accident you said you didn't really like the water too much so maybe we could go out to eat somewhere instead-"

Lightning groaned inwardly. How much longer was this going to take? She silently thought of a way to get Serah to quiet down for a second so that she could have a moment to get used to the new atmosphere, but her sister's constant chattering was making any chance of adjustment practically impossible. She had nothing against her sister, of course (despite the fact that they had just met the day before), but she needed her own space for now.

After ten more painstakingly long minutes, Lightning was about to get up and leave the room when Serah's babbling was interrupted by a light tap on the doorframe. They lifted their heads to see Snow with his elbow casually pressed against the white surface, grinning as usual.

"Babe, we gotta go drop off Celina. I know we let her cut her morning classes, but we kind of have to go now."

Serah pouted, disappointed at the short time she had been able to spend with her sister. "Now? But I only got to stay here for so long," she protested.

"I'd say the same thing, but this is Celi's school we're talking about, and she's lucky she even got a half day off," Snow said. Serah huffed slightly as she got up, about to leave the room, but not before she pulled Lightning into a warm hug.

"We'll see you sometime later today. We have a special surprise waiting for you," she whispered the last bit, giggling. "Love you, sis!" she called out as she left the room. Lightning gave a half-hearted wave, dropping down on her bed with a small _phew_ once she heard the front door shut.

_Was I like that before I lost my memory?_ she thought silently.


	6. A Night Out

** Everyone, I'm very sorry for the delay. I've been feeling low lately, and I've had a bad case of writer's block. Thank you for the follows and reviews! I hope you enjoy this new chapter.**

* * *

After the short visit from the Villiers, Hope decided to make something to eat. He had completely forgotten about breakfast in his rush to see Lightning that morning, and could feel the effects of not getting his meal slowly start to drain him of his energy.

_Lightning might want some, too…_

He stood idly in front of the metal countertop, wondering what to make for his companion. He finally decided on a simple sandwich, and proceeded to pull out a bag of bread from the cupboard.

* * *

Hope rapped the door with his knuckles, holding a rectangular plate containing a slightly burnt sandwich. "Light?" he called out. There was no response. He knocked again, calling her name louder than before.

Lightning didn't respond.

Wrapping his fingers around the silver knob, Hope slowly pushed the door open with one hand, cautious so as to make sure his housemate wasn't sleeping, or worse—changing, though she would have said something if she were. Once he was sure it was okay to enter the room, he fully swung open the door.

The room was vacant, empty. Hope took a few steps forward, stopping as he stepped on something hard. He looked down to see a black book covered by his foot. Stepping back, he examined the room.

Pieces of paper and books were scattered across the floor, the sheets on the bed wrinkled and papers strewn all over the desk standing at the side of the room. Lightning was usually organized and tidy; her room would be spotless, without a trace of dirt to be found in a single corner. It was odd seeing it in such a messy condition.

Hope's eyes swiveled around, further taking in his surroundings. The black bookshelf on the wall was filled with cluttered books and out-of-place notepads, and next to it was Lightning's desk. The young man's eyes rested on the familiar photo lying on top of it, walking closer to get a better look.

He smiled as his eyes skimmed the photograph. He and Lightning were standing at the beach, after the New Bodhum fireworks festival. It had taken place earlier than usual that day, which explained the sun's setting behind them. Although it wasn't easy for others to tell the difference, he could see the way Lightning's lips were turned; she had not a scowl on her face, but the slightest hint of a smile lying beneath her expression. Hope was standing next to her with his arm over her shoulder, beaming.

"Hope?" he jumped in surprise, almost dropping the frame in his hands. Fumbling to catch the photo, he let out a breath of relief as it landed safely back in his palm.

"L-Light, you scared me." He felt his stomach do a small flip as he turned around to see her.

Lightning was standing in a pair of denim shorts and a black tank top, the outfit noticeably more revealing than the Guardian Corps uniform she had always worn before the accident. Her hair was slightly damp from her shower, beads of water dripping off sections of her pink hair and onto her skin. He saw her long, slender legs, and his eyes trailed over her well-toned arms and her smooth, pale skin…

_Crap._ Realizing that the way his mouth was agape wasn't exactly subtle, he slammed it back shut, trying to avoid any kind of possible humiliation. Lightning, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice, as she was busy examining the frame he was holding. "Did you see the photo?" she asked. He nodded awkwardly, raising it up for her to take.

"Sorry about walking in," he apologized. She waved her hand, saying it was no big deal as she held the frame and studied the photo closely as if she were trying to recall something.

"Where was this?" she asked.

"It was…it was in New Bodhum," Hope answered. Clearing the hesitation from his throat, he spoke again. "Yeah, it was in New Bodhum." There. That was better.

"New Bodhum?" she repeated.

Hope nodded. "It's where we live."

"Oh," Lightning mouthed. "I couldn't remember."

There was a small silence. Hope was busy searching for something to say, when Lightning's eyes suddenly moved to rest on something next to him. Turning to see what it was, he saw the plate holding the sandwich that he had made.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. I made you something to eat," he said, reaching out to grab the plate. "It's a little burned up, but I hope it's okay."

Lightning took the plate, giving him a small smile. "Thanks."

Hope felt another jump in his stomach, all the while wondering in the back of his head how on earth a single smile could cause a reaction like that.

_I'm impossible…_

* * *

Lightning ate her food, taking her time as she sat on the bed with Hope. The bed sheets were tossed onto the ground and out of the way, left neglected as she ate. Once she swallowed, she cleared her throat to speak.

"How old are you?" she asked.

_The dreaded question…_Hope thought. He knew he'd be instantly seen as a younger boy to her after she had lost her memory and found out his age. The memories of them were now gone, though they were nothing more than friends, and he'd be back to square one; where he was merely a young man, chasing after a woman seven years older than him.

"Nineteen," he said reluctantly. Lightning nodded, continuing to eat her food until there was no more left. There were no crumbs at all, and Hope slightly marveled at how neat she was when it came to eating a burnt sandwich.

"Aren't you still in school?" she asked.

"I skipped and let them know that I'd be taking care of you for a week," Hope answered.

"You didn't need to do that-" Lightning began, but was cut off.

"Yeah, but I wanted to. I need to show you around the house and the city, let you know the basic details," Hope said, giving a small shrug. "You can't go around not knowing your directions, can you?" Lightning nodded hesitantly, still unsure. She thought for a minute, pausing.

"Why did we move in together?" she asked.

Hope blinked for a second, trying to think. Though Lightning was suffering from amnesia, her old habit of getting straight to the point hadn't disappeared completely. Smiling at the thought, he focused back on the question.

"My parents died," he said. "At first, Serah and Snow asked me to live with them, but you eventually took me in. I was fourteen," he added.

"So that was five years ago...?"

Hope nodded. "We were already kind of friends, so you were okay with it…probably."

Lightning stared at her empty plate, quiet for a minute. She looked back up at Hope. "Was I really a soldier?"

Hope broke into another smile. "Yeah," he answered. "I remember you telling me that you joined when you were fifteen."

"Fifteen?" Lightning said, her expression stretched out in surprise. "That's so young…"

Despite enjoying the look on Lightning's face, Hope realized where the conversation was going and quickly made a turn in the topic. "Well, you up for anything today?"

Lightning shrugged nonchalantly, spinning on her heel as she looked around her room once more. "I think I should clean up first. I was looking at my old stuff and taking them out to look at them, but it didn't go so well," she said, gesturing to the books and papers scattered across the floor. "I thought that pulling out some stuff might have helped me remember something."

Hope hadn't even thought of that. "Then I'll help you," he said, immediately bending down to pick up a red hardcover book resting by his feet.

"Are you sure? I can do it myself."

"No, it's okay. This might take you awhile, since you have a cast and all that. And if you have any questions, you can ask me."

Lightning nodded slowly. "Thanks."

* * *

The clean-up procedure took a considerably longer time than either of them had expected. Yet Hope was ever so helpful and proceeded to lend Lightning a hand whenever she looked like she needed it. Surprisingly, she seemed to have no more questions, but Hope soon found out why. It turned out that the papers held no real importance; they were merely documents containing write-ups of Lightning's plans, meetings, or arrangements within the Guardian Corps. They contained nothing personal, nothing significant that could evoke any emotions or memories prior to her memory loss. Though disappointed, Hope knew that there was a lot more that he could show Lightning for her to remember. Resolving to run through a list of tactics later on, he snuck a peek at Lightning, who was finishing stacking some books on her shelf. The books were either guides for Guardian Corps or military enlistments, and held nothing of particular interest.

"Thanks for helping me, Hope," she said as she pushed the last book into the shelf. "Sorry for the trouble."

"It's fine," Hope waved his hand, motioning that it was no big deal. "Are you feeling okay? You're not tired or anything?"

Lightning gave a small smile. "I'm alright."

Suddenly, the quiet atmosphere was broken by the sound of loud buzzing. Turning to the source of the vibration, Hope went over to the desk, where his phone was resting. He looked at the screen. Snow Villiers. Pressing a button to answer, he raised the phone up to his ear, only to be met by a loud hoot. "Hey, Hope!"

Cringing, Hope reacted immediately by yanking the phone away from his head. Once he was sure that Snow had calmed down, he carefully pulled the phone back up and spoke. "Snow, if you're going to call me, at least do it normally by not damaging the other person's eardrums."

Snow laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I was calling to see if you and Lightning were free tonight."

"Tonight? Uh…" Hope glanced at Lightning, who was watching his conversation, slightly curious as to what they were discussing. "Hang on." Hope placed a hand over the receiver, looking at Lightning. "Do you mind if we go somewhere tonight?"

She shrugged. "It depends on where we're going."

Hope turned to the side, briefly diverting his attention back to the phone. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"Lebreau's bar," Snow answered.

Hope looked at the clock hanging from the wall. It was almost seven. He turned back to Lightning and told her of their assumed plans; she lingered on her answer for a moment, ending with a nod.

"Be there in thirty minutes," Snow said.

"What? But-"

"You know how to get there, don't you? Later," Snow said. Judging from his tone, it was obvious he was enjoying the protest he got from Hope. Soon, all he heard on the line was a low buzz. The call had ended.

Hope stuffed the phone in his pocket, rolling his eyes. Dropping his hands to his sides, he looked at Lightning.

"Let's get ready."

* * *

"Is Lebreau the one with the black hair and purple top?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah. When we're celebrating or just want to all get together for once, we usually go to her bar or hang out at Snow's place," Hope said as he walked. He and Lightning were walking to their destination, dressed in light clothes as they kept the warm evening weather in mind. "She calls it a 'café', but most of us just call it what we think it is." Hope pulled up the sleeves of his white blouse, ruffling them as he did so. He was wearing light jeans underneath, making the outfit casual and suitable for the current situation.

"I see…" Lightning said. She was wearing the same outfit as before, the only difference being a green vest lying over her shirt. It was strange seeing her wear layers; as far as Hope had seen, all she had cared for wearing before the crash was her Guardian Corps uniform.

"Wow," Lightning said. Hope looked up to see her staring at the new view as they passed through the streets. Though it was early evening, the sun was just starting to set. Streaks of red and purple grazed across the ocean surface, and the water shimmered as the sun barely hid behind the horizon. It was beautiful, like any other day in New Bodhum.

"Refreshing, isn't it?" Hope smiled, watching as Lightning took in the ocean view. "New Bodhum's swarming with tourists, just like the last—" he stopped himself, silently cursing for leading the subject towards Cocoon once more. He had promised Serah after their visit to Lightning to not speak of Cocoon's fall or her parents until they figured out how to tell her. "Fal'Cie and l'Cie, Eidolons and all that other stuff…let's just tell sis later, okay?" Serah had pleaded. "I don't want her first few days in New Bodhum to be overwhelmed with details. And that includes our…our parents. We can tell her later, just not now."

"Hope?" He felt a light shake on his arm and jumped, awakening from the trance he had been in. "We should keep walking."

"Y-yeah. Sorry," he muttered, quickening his pace. "So what were you saying?" Lightning asked.

"I-" Hope began, but was interrupted by a distant shout. "Heeeeeyyyyyy!" He squinted to see two figures waving their arms wildly, calling out. Straining to see the details, he saw that the two figures were Yuj and Maqui, standing in front of a familiar brown building. Letting out a breath of relief, he waved back, grinning. "Let's go," he said, taking Lightning's hand and leading her towards the two.

"Huh? Wait-" she began, but Hope led her along despite her protests. He didn't notice they were holding hands until they stopped at the front door, greeted by NORA and Snow.

"Hey, sis," he said. "Nice to see you got some company here," he remarked, eyeing the hand gripping hers. Startled, Hope let go immediately, blushing. Coughing awkwardly, he turned to Serah, who gave him a small hug. "Thanks for coming," she said. Much to his and Lightning's relief, she seemed to have calmed down after she had visited their home. "Everyone's here but Sazh. He said he was busy."

Snow patted Hope's back, the impact causing him to cough slightly. "Come on in."

"Cheers!" everyone hollered as their glasses clinked against one another. They leaned back and took a swig of their beer, laughing as incessant chattering rang throughout the bar. "I just want to say…" Snow said, raising his glass in the air. "Congratulations to my sister-in-law for getting out of the hospital in three days' time."

Lightning simply took a sip of her beverage, leaning forward in her chair. She seemed unusually calm and barely amused at the sight of a drunken Snow, wobbling around and speaking unsteadily. Taking a look at her surroundings, she took another sip.

It had been two hours since she had arrived at Lebreau's café, or bar. So far, Snow was the first one to reach his limit, followed by Gadot, Yuj, and Maqui. Vanille, surprisingly, had had more than enough as well. Giggling as her cheeks turned pinker and brighter by the minute, she plopped down on a seat next to a man her age and began to chatter nonstop. The rest of the women, however, seemed to have retained their alcohol intake as they interacted quite normally with other customers in the café. Lebreau left momentarily to clean up a table left by a previous customer.

Lightning put her drink down, sighing. The singing coming from the men in the back of the bar had finally ceased, and the pounding in her head slowly came to a stop. The relief, however, abruptly came to a halt as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning to see who it was, she stared as Hope blinked back drowsily at her. "Lightning," he murmured.

"Hope?" she said. "Hi there," he responded dreamily. His hazy eyes, half-open, clearly let her know he was drunk. "How're you?"

She passed the question, inspecting him as she spoke. "Are you…feeling okay?"

"'m fine…" he said, leaning towards her. He squinted, examining Lightning's face. "Funny," he remarked. "You don't seem very drunk. I thought you'd be the type to get drunk, Lightning!" he laughed, cheeks turning pink.

"Hope," Lightning said, turning and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I think you should sit down." She gently pushed him into a chair, taking the blue glass out of his hand and placing it on the counter. He giggled as she had him sit down on the soft seat, taking her hand. "Look at that, Light. Your hand looks flawless, just like it was before the car accident. What about your other hand? Doesn't it have any scars?"

"I-" Lightning began, but was interrupted by Hope.

"It's funny, isn't it? Even when you have a cast on, you look really pretty."

Lightning had no idea what to say. She had just met the boy yesterday, and now here he was, drunk and complimenting her shamelessly. _That's what happens when you drink too much,_ she thought. _And what does having a cast on your arm have to do with your appearance?_

She was suddenly pulled into a tight hug by Hope as he rocked back and forth slowly, humming tunelessly. "Hey, guys," he shouted as he pulled away. "Why don't we sing a song for my friend over here?" He patted Lightning's back, pointing to her with his free hand.

"No, that's okay, really," Lightning protested, removing Hope's arm from her shoulder. But it was too late. The men in the bar had erupted into singing "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow", a unison of low voices booming throughout the building. A couple heads turned from outside the door, but seemed to lose interest after a few seconds. It was highly unlikely, but maybe this was normal.

"Sis?" Lightning heard a familiar voice and whipped around. Serah was standing behind her, chuckling softly at the sight of Hope singing next to her sister as she cringed from the noise. "Having fun there?"

Lightning groaned. "I'd like some help, if you don't mind."

Serah smiled. "I'll go get the girls." She hurried off to find her companions as Lightning wondered what they would be able to do in such a racket.

To make a long story short, Serah's voice was slightly hoarse after a stampede of men had exited the bar. The place now closed for the night, Lebreau and Fang helped Snow get in the back of Serah's car as the pink-haired woman talked the members of NORA into getting back to their house, which was right behind the café (how they managed to sleep every night behind such a loud building, Lightning never knew). She kept Hope and Vanille company as they all waited to go home.

"Well, I'll be going now," Fang said. "I gotta get this one back to my place." She pointed to Vanille, who was now murmuring quietly, barely awake as Fang hoisted the small girl's weight on her own.

"You need any help?" Lightning asked.

Fang shook her head. "I'll be fine. You'd better get him back to bed soon." She tilted her chin towards Hope, who was practically asleep, head resting on the table.

"We'll give you a ride home," Serah piped up. "Your car's probably still waiting to be replaced from the crash, anyways." Lightning had forgotten about her car. She'd assumed that the reason she and Hope had walked to the café was because they weren't too far from it.

She thanked her sister for the ride as she climbed into the car, next to Snow.

* * *

"This-"

"Is why-"

"You don't-"

"Ever-"

"Let the guy-

"Get drunk."

Serah grunted as she pulled Hope up the stairs, Lightning supporting his other side as they took slow, sluggish steps. Once they had arrived back at Lightning's house, the two sisters were given just enough luck so as to have Hope pass out right as they pulled into her driveway. Lightning silently wondered why it took a soldier this much effort to carry a man seven years younger than her, despite the broken arm. She had been told by her sister that she was a sergeant; a decent rank, and anyone in it would be strong enough to pull a drowsy, full-grown man up the stairs.

_Or would they?_

Her thoughts came to a halt as they reached Hope's room. "We're…here." Serah panted slightly, pushing open the door. In spite of the small amount of sweat beading on her pale forehead, she gently laid Hope down on his bed with some help from her sister. Once she was sure he was comfortable, she let out a heavy breath. "You should…get some sleep. I'm sorry if this night wasn't very fun for you," she said, slowly catching her breath.

"It's fine," Lightning said. "It was interesting." It wasn't a total lie, but the speculation in her voice was still audible as she spoke. Serah didn't seem to notice, however; instead, she merely gave her sister a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. "See you tomorrow," she yawned. She walked out, ready to follow the same process of lugging yet another man up the stairs back in her own home.

Lightning stood alone, taking a moment to examine the man lying before her. Hope was sleeping soundly, barely moving a hair as he rested peacefully on his bed. Lightning slowly walked out the room, careful as to not make any noise as she closed the door. Once she entered her own, private area, she didn't bother changing her clothes. She merely dropped onto her bed, tired and finding peace within the clean, warm sheets as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.


	7. Late Morning

**It's been a while...**

**;aksjd;lfajslf so I have absolutely no excuse for what I've done. I know. Three weeks since my last chapter. I suck. I'm super super sorry. I hope I can get my thoughts actually running this time-I have absolutely no problems with my oneshots in the 20 Theme Challenge, but for some reason, this story's just been...aaaarrrgghhhh. I love this story, don't get me wrong. I've just been having problems with it.**

**A few people have told me that Lighting is a bit out of character/more of an original character. Well, she did lose her memory, after all. I figured that since all memories of the conflict she faced in her life were gone, she'd be a tad bit more...easygoing:) Just a bit.**

**Anyways, enjoy. Let's hope the next chapter will come a bit faster than this one did.**

* * *

Hope woke up, his head pounding as he slowly opened his eyes. As he tried to prop himself up on his hands, he tumbled back, straightening immediately to get back up again. He sat on the edge of his bed, waiting until the floor stopped spinning. Groaning quietly, Hope lifted himself off the bed with some effort and put his head in his hands.

_What happened…?_

Right as he tried to recall the previous night, his thoughts were interrupted by a lurch in his stomach. The only thing he could think of before he ran for the bathroom: _I'm gonna be sick. _Bolting up and out the doorway, he nearly dived into the vacant room down the hall as he hovered over the toilet, retching.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Hope, who had brushed his teeth multiple times to get rid of the scent of puke from his mouth, slowly sauntered out of the bathroom for a glass of water. He slightly dragged himself along the way; the throbbing in his head from before seemed to continue relentlessly, no matter how many times he sat down and waited for it to pass.

As he walked back down the hallway, he noticed the door to his right slightly open, a crack between the wood and the frame letting out a sliver of light through the dimly lit hallway. Slowly pushing open the door, he took a step in the room to see Lightning lying on her bed, hair ruffled and quietly breathing as she slept. She was dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, a wrinkled vest tossed carelessly to the side of the mattress as she slept.

Though about to approach her, Hope decided it was better to let her sleep. He figured that walking in a woman's room while she lay resting wasn't a very good decision, anyways. Closing the door, he went back to his bed, getting to ready to fall back asleep. Right as he shut his eyes, though, a string of images made its way into his mind.

He saw Lightning, standing before him as she gave him an odd look. Where were they?

Oh, right. The bar.

Slowly, as he sat back up, Hope started to recollect the events of the previous night.

_Shit._

As he remembered, he saw himself, bellowing at the top of his lungs with his arm wrapped around Lightning's shoulder. He was unaware of his eyes slowly widening in shock as he saw himself once more, telling Lightning that she was pretty, even with her cast.

Hope groaned. How was he going to face her now? As far as he'd remembered, she hadn't been drunk at all, so there was zero chance of her suddenly forgetting everything he'd said. Crawling out of his bed, he looked around, knowing there was no way he could go back to sleep now. It was still early in the morning, and he sought for something to distract him from his thoughts.

Biting his lip, his eyes skimmed over his desk, stopping on a yellow notepad. Taking a moment to think, he strolled over to the brown surface and sat himself, taking out a pen and starting to scribble rapidly.

* * *

Lightning slowly turned to the side. And turned back again. The motion caused the sheets to shift slightly off the bed, the tips of the soft fabric sweeping the floor. She opened her eyes by a millimeter, only to immediately shut them back again as the light from the window burned into her pupils. Raising her arm to cover her eyes, she stayed in place for a second and slowly got up, blinking painfully to try and adjust to the light.

What time was it? She checked the clock. Ten in the morning. As Lightning slowly shuffled out of the bed, she gave a small yawn and stretched her arms wearily. Her muscles slightly ached, for some reason, and she rubbed her shoulder gingerly to knead away the pain. Why was she so sore?

_I remember now…_Lightning sighed as she recollected the image of herself falling asleep at midnight after dragging Hope up the stairs with help from her sister as he murmured meaninglessly in his sleep. Lightning silently wondered if he had gotten up yet, slightly expecting a small hangover. She walked to her bathroom to wash up.

Lightning stepped out into the hallway. Peering out to see if it was empty, she stepped quietly onto the brown wooden tiles, careful so as to not make any sound. She saw that the door a few meters away from hers and across the hall had been left slightly open, and crept carefully over to it to see if Hope was awake.

She peered through the crack in the door to see Hope scribbling furiously into a piece of paper. As she watched him, she could see the continuous process: he would pause for a second, scratch out everything he wrote, tear the paper out and start over again.

Lightning wondered what he was doing for a moment before moving away from the door to avoid being caught peering into his room, but figured it might as well have been something for a class of his. After all, he was nineteen and probably busy with college. She felt a twinge of guilt; she had gotten in a car accident and made him stay home, taking care of her and neglecting his studies. After thinking for a moment, she walked quietly into the kitchen, looking into the fridge for the necessary materials.

* * *

Hope dropped his pen on the yellow paper, rubbing his face as he sighed. He was fresh out of ideas for the list he was making. He looked at the small clock resting on his desk and saw the time: eleven in the morning. The thought of breakfast drifted down on his head, and his stomach responded with a low grumble. _I should get something to eat,_ he thought. Right as he did so, however, he crinkled his nose at the smell of…bacon? He looked at his door and got out of his seat, sticking his head out of the room to look around. The smell seemed to be coming from the kitchen.

As Hope approached the white room, he could see Lightning standing in front of the stove with a spatula in her hand.

"Lightning?"

Lightning turned to look at Hope, waving the spatula. "Hey," she said.

"What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast," Lightning said.

"But your arm's broken," Hope protested. "You didn't need to make anything." He walked over, about to lend a hand, when Lightning waved it off. "I'm fine," she said. "I broke my left arm, Hope. I'm right-handed. I'll be fine. You're taking care of me for a week, so the least I can do is make breakfast for you.

Hope opened his mouth, about to say something else—when Lightning cut him off. "I already made it, so just eat," she said, handing him a plate. He lingered for a moment before taking the plate. Hope walked over to the brown table next to the kitchen, seating himself with his utensils. It wasn't long before Lightning joined him with her own plate, the pair eating together in silence before beginning to engage in conversation.

"How's your head?" Lightning said. Hope looked up, startled by the sudden question. _How did she know?_

_But of course_. Hope's mind immediately flashed back to previous night in the bar, where he had been drunk and singing loudly in front of Lightning. He could feel his cheeks start to heat up as he recalled the memory, embarrassment clearly showing through. He looked at the eggs on his plate, hiding his face as he kept eating.

"I took some Advil, so I'm fine," Hope said. He wasn't lying—the pounding in his head had ceased after a couple hours in his room alone. Hope cleared his throat and looked up at Lightning as he finished his plate, dragging her attention towards him. "So…you have anything in mind for today?" he said.

"Not really," Lightning replied.

"Do you need some more rest?" Hope asked, thinking back to the doctor at the hospital. He had been handed the list of the medication that Lightning had to take every morning, and searched around in his pocket to see if it was there. Pulling the piece of paper out while Lightning told him she was feeling okay, he scanned the white sheet. "Have you taken your medication yet?"

Lightning shook her head. "I was too busy making breakfast. What do I have to take?"

Hope handed her the list, letting her read it thoroughly before heading back into her room to grab the proper medication after she finished her breakfast. As soon as Lightning had gone in, however, she came out. "Have you seen my medication? I can't find the orange one," she said. She turned around to inspect the house, possibly a small attempt to see if her medication was lying around somewhere.

"Where'd you last see it?" Hope asked, getting up from his seat. They started moving around to try and search for the runaway medication, looking underneath the table and on the kitchen countertop.

As they tried to find the orange bottle of pills that they had been given, they eventually came to the conclusion that Lightning's medication was indeed missing. Lightning shook her head as she told Hope that she had never even touched the bag after putting them in her drawer, and Hope had responded with the same answer.

"Well, if none of us even touched the bag…I'm not really sure where your pills would be." Hope scratched the back of his head awkwardly, looking around the living room. They had flipped over the couch cushions and looked in each and every single drawer; despite the effort, they were nowhere even close to finding an orange container filled with Lightning's medication. "Since we can't find it…" Hope trailed off, thinking for a minute. "Let's just go back to the hospital and see if they have it."

Lightning looked puzzled, her eyebrows forming a small curve as her thoughts went the other way. "But we don't have a car."

"We can ask Serah to drive us," Hope said, shrugging. "She doesn't work, so she's okay with it."

* * *

After a short phone call to the younger Farron, they made their way down to the hospital, quickly speeding into the white building so as to get out of there quick.

Lightning hated hospitals. The moment she'd woken up in the small room, her eyes had rested on the metal stand next to her bed, holding the bag of IV coursing through her body with a single needle plunged into her skin. The smell of the white coats and nurse scrubs made her sick, and the heart rate monitor would flash next to her every second, making her feel like she was being watched.

Stomach already starting to lurch a bit, she quickened her pace as she went down the hallway and reached the doctor's office, directed by the nurse at the front desk. As soon as Hope came around, she proceeded to knock lightly on the door, met with a quiet "Come in."

Lightning pushed open the door, slowly peering inside to see a familiar man with glasses and a white coat sitting at his computer. He looked up, seeing his former patient, and got up from his seat. "Ms. Farron?" he asked. "Ah—uh, what brings you here?"

Hope noticed the doctor's somewhat frazzled tone, recalling the talk they'd had a few days ago. Perhaps he felt bad about not being able to help Lightning with her amnesia, leaving her with no solution other than to simply "wait". Ever since that had happened, however, he couldn't help but feel a little begrudged towards the man. He had claimed to have "tried", but to Hope, it merely seemed like a pitiful excuse directed towards a situation he had absolutely no hope for.

"I'm missing some of the medication that you gave me a few days ago," Lightning said, handing Hightower the list of her daily medicine intake. "Here," she said, pointing to a specific one on the list. "I looked all over for it, but…"

As Lightning spoke to the doctor, Hope found himself looking around the office. It was the same as before, with a few papers scattered around the desk and posters on the wall. A computer and a few other items lay on Hightower's desk, but one in particular caught Hope's attention.

He slipped away from the pair next to him as they spoke, heading over to the familiar pendant lying on the wooden surface. Hope picked it up, noticing that the chain was gone. But it wasn't that that was odd—it was the fact that the pendant, shaped like a lightning bolt, had ultimately made it through the car accident without a scratch. Once again, Lightning had been lucky. The precious necklace that she'd always worn around her neck had survived the crash, not a single dent to be found.

Hope turned to look at Lightning, who was folding the paper in her hand and putting it away as the doctor walked towards the door to retrieve her medication. "Hey," Hope said, getting Lightning's attention with a wave of his hand. He held the pendant out, giving her an eyeful of the silver shape in his palm. "I found your—"

"My necklace!" Lightning exclaimed, immediately taking it from Hope's hand. She stared at it, trying to find any possible scratches from the crash. As soon as she saw that there weren't any, she let out a small breath of relief and held it to her chest. "Thank you," she said softly.

Hope smiled in response, though somewhat puzzled at her reaction. "No problem," he said. "But, uh…how'd you know it was your necklace?"

"How…?" Lightning repeated, staring at him. She thought for a moment, searching for an answer. "I don't know, it just kind of—"

"Ms. Farron, I have your medication." A voice rang through the door as Dr. Hightower swung open the door, stopping as he saw Lightning holding the pendant to her chest. "Ah, I see you've found your little necklace," he said. "I was about to have it sent to you, but I guess there's no need for that now." He looked back and forth between Lightning and Hope, taking in the silent atmosphere. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"Kind of," Hope said, looking back at Lightning. "Light, how'd you know it was your necklace?" She had immediately identified the pendant the moment she'd laid her eyes on it, something that—as far as he'd known—a person with amnesia wouldn't do. After all, it was the first time she was seeing it after she'd lost her memory.

Lightning stared at the ground as she tried to think. "I just looked at it, and…" she seemed to stumble over her words a bit, something she rarely did at all.

She looked up, eyes widened by the slightest bit in surprise. "I just remembered."


	8. Doubts

**Here's a new chapter.**

**(Guest reviewer) **unknown**, thank you for your reviews on Lost Memories! I'm glad you liked the story. I can't send you a response through PM, as you're a guest reviewer, but I'm just putting this out here so you can see my thanks. ^^ **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Hope stood, stunned. Though he knew Lightning was now a bit different and more liable to express her emotions ever since she'd lost her memory, it still took her more than the usual amount to surprise her. He watched as her eyes widened, as her lips moved to the words, the movements slightly off as everything happened in slow motion.

"You...you remembered?" he stumbled over his words, heartbeat accelerating as they emitted from his mouth. Lightning slowly nodded, staring at the pendant in her hand. Hope's expression was one of shock, but it quickly transitioned into one of pure joy as he broke into a smile, taking her shoulders while he did so. "You remembered," he said. "You remembered."

Lightning nodded once more. He had no idea what to say-his mind was at a loss for words as his thoughts raced with exhilaration. Lightning had finally remembered something. It was a mere pendant, but it was a step forward, and Hope could take that any day. "Thank Maker…" he muttered. He gently pulled away, keeping Lightning within his reach as he looked straight at her. "How did it happen?"

Lightning opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted as they heard a small clearing of the throat behind them. Dr. Hightower, who had been standing at the door with Lightning's medication in hand, drew their attention back to their current setting. Hope released his hold on Lightning's shoulders and blushed, turning to face the doctor. "I apologize for interrupting, but perhaps you should take this, Ms. Farron," Hightower said, smiling as he handed the plastic bag to her. Lightning took it silently, somewhat lost from the moment she'd just had.

"Should we have a little discussion?"

* * *

"So, Ms. Farron—"

"Call me Lightning."

"Are you sure?" Dr. Hightower said, scrunching his brow. "That would be rude—"

"Just call me Lightning," Lightning insisted.

Hightower blinked and nodded, trying to adjust to the different moniker. "Well…if you would be so kind enough as to tell us…" he paused for a moment, briefly glancing at Hope as he did so. "What just happened?"

Lightning fingered the lightning bolt-shaped pendant in her hand, staring at it as she thought. "I'm not very sure myself. Hope just picked up the charm and handed it to me, and I recognized it the second I saw it."

"Did you…perhaps, _see_ anything?"

Lightning looked up at the doctor and shook her head. "If you mean anything dramatic, like a flashback, no. I just saw the pendant and knew what it was."

"Hmm," Hightower said thoughtfully. He sat back in his chair and gazed at Lightning, listening intently. After a few moments of silence, he pulled back from his desk and bent down to retrieve multiple sheets of paper from a drawer.

"Well, we ran some tests, and we've come up with an estimation for your recovery."

"Estimation…?" Hope repeated, raising his eyebrows in question. Hightower nodded again, scribbling down on the paper lying on his desk. "According to this, Ms. Fa—I mean, Lightning," he shook his head, the new name use sounding a bit foreign, "should be able to recover by six months, at most."

"Six months?" Hope said, incredulous. "Are you sure?"

Hightower nodded. "It's rather short, and only a guess based on what we have here, but—"

"That's great!" Hope exclaimed, leaning forward. He was suddenly aware of his interruption and sat back in his chair, muttering something under his breath about needing to calm down. "Sorry," he said. "Continue."

"It's alright. There wasn't much left to say. But please remember that what we came up with is purely a hypothesis based on what scans and evidence we gathered in a rather short time, so we can't be too sure. Nevertheless, we figured that you should know."

As the doctor proceeded to remind Lightning about the required daily dose for her medication before their short conversation ended, Hope couldn't stop smiling. He was ecstatic. Six months wasn't too long, and one thing was confirmed: Lightning would recover. However, he couldn't help but notice Lightning as she fingered the lightning bolt-shaped pendant in her hand. She seemed slightly discomforted-noticeably less excited than Hope was, like she was genuinely worried about something. He made a mental note to ask her about it later, but for now, he redirected his attention towards the chat.

* * *

As soon as they all piled into the car and told Serah what had happened, she had almost stopped the car and given her sister a hug right in the middle of the street. "I can't believe it—four months?" she had said, overjoyed.

Hope nodded. "Yeah. Kind of short, isn't it?"

Serah smiled. "I'm really happy for you, sis. Maybe Hope can help you start to remember some stuff while you're at it."

"Huh?"

"Remember what the guy said? 'Significant objects or locations can evoke past memories' or something like that. Why don't you guys go somewhere that you went to before the crash together?"

Hope and Lightning glanced at each other, but the looks that were exchanged between them weren't as crazy as Hope thought they'd be. He remembered the yellow notepad back in his room that he had scribbled in and paused for a second.

"Maybe," he said quietly.

* * *

Hope and Lightning thanked Serah for the ride and headed toward the front steps, walking together and through the front door. Hope made sure to lock it once he'd closed it shut, and turned to face Lightning standing behind him.

He looked at the bag containing the plastic bottle full of Lightning's medication. "What happened with that?"

Lightning glanced at the bag. "Oh, this?" she lifted it up for Hope to see. "Turns out he accidentally left it behind when he gave me the other pills."

Hope nodded, but other thoughts drew near his mind. He silently lingered on the thought of Lightning clutching the found pendant in her hand, looking unusually disconcerted. He'd assumed that she'd be happy to have remembered something, but she just looked more confused, uncomfortable. He was about to say something, but was interrupted as a low vibration echoed from his back pocket. Pulling out his phone, he looked at the screen and groaned. Lightning took notice, silently listening as he flicked open the device.

"What?" Hope spoke into the receiver, obviously annoyed as he started to converse with his friend.

A muffled voice spoke back to him, and he paused as he listened. "Wait, what? No, you're supposed to save the file in the—"

Hope was interrupted as the same voice started to speak a bit louder, and the tone changed—multiple voices were starting to squabble in the background. It must have been pretty loud, because Lightning could hear the noise from where she was standing. Hope covered his face with his hand and shook his head, as if the other person on the line could see the agitated motion. He turned around and continued to speak while Lightning stared at him, wondering what was going on. She merely proceeded to head down the hall, however, and into her room as she tossed the medication on her desk.

Lightning sighed. She pulled the small piece of silver from her pocket, staring at the lightning bolt-shaped trinket. Reaching for her neck as if to recall something, she felt her bare skin and withdrew her hand, seeing as there was nothing to touch.

"Light?" Hope knocked on Lightning's door, his muffled voice sounding behind the frame. "Come in," Lightning said.

"Hey," he said, pushing open the door. He looked around—Lightning's room was considerably cleaner than it had been before. Though some photos had been scattered over her desk, he could see it was the same room that he knew, before the accident. He smiled to himself before telling Lightning what he was about to say.

"Some guys in my research group are having trouble with our project, so I'm going to be over at the campus for an hour or two." Hope looked at Lightning hesitantly, his face apologetic. "Is that okay with you?"

"Sure," Lightning said. She seemed puzzled as to why he was asking her for her permission. "It's not like I'm going to be doing anything, anyways."

Hope nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be taking care of you…the guys I'm working with are kind of clueless, and they started arguing over something stupid—"

"Hope." Lightning said. "It's fine. Just go and finish whatever it is you need to work on." She gave him a small smile to let him know her answer was genuine, and he returned the smile somewhat uneasily. He pulled out a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Lightning; it had a line of numbers scribbled across.

"It's my number. Just give me a call if you need anything, okay? The house phone's over in the living room, next to the couch."

Lightning nodded her thanks, and in a matter of seconds Hope had left the house. As she heard the front door close shut, she dropped back on her bed, remembering her conversation with the doctor back at the hospital.

"_You'll start to have some flashbacks. They probably won't be too soon, but you should be careful so as to watch out for them._"

Lightning closed her eyes, feeling the warm sheets once more. In truth, she hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night—she was still tired, and wanted to get some rest. She slowly drifted off, all thoughts leaving her mind as she entered a peaceful rest.

* * *

"Maker, Tyhe. I leave for a week and you can't even work on the project without misplacing a file."

"It's not my fault," Tyhe scowled. "Warner told me he'd save it, but he ended up—"

"Whose fault was that? You were the one who asked me! You were supposed to do it yourself in the first place. Serves you right for being lazy with your job," Warner said, lifting the stack of books from his arm and placing them on the wooden table. They were all standing in the middle of the massive library at the University of New Bodhum; the place was vacant, the only people occupying it the small group of students gathered at a table, allowing the members of the research group to freely bicker as loud as they wanted.

"Oh, yeah? Who was it that asked Shay to 'help' with their research paper?" Tyhe retorted, glaring at Warner.

"He was just giving me a few pointers. You wouldn't know what real help is, because you never do anything by yourself."

"Why, you—"

"Will you two shut up?" Hope snapped, narrowing his eyes as he studied the computer screen. "I can't concentrate with either of you clawing at each other's throats while I'm trying to fix this. Find something to work on that's worth your time while you wait."

The two men shot Hope a look, but he didn't seem to notice as he searched for the missing file on the computer. Grumbling quietly, they both headed off to do as Hope asked while he clicked away.

After five long minutes, he rubbed his face with his hands, sighing for a brief break. He heard a small _clink_ and opened his eyes, looking down to see that a glass of water had been set before him. He looked up.

A girl around the age of eighteen stood in front of the table. Black hair flowed down the thin girl's back as she placed her pale hands on the wooden surface, her familiar green eyes eyeing him in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm almost done, so I'll be able to head home soon." Hope scratched the back of his head while he placed his hands back on the keyboard in front of him, neglecting the glass of water set before him by Elena.

"Sorry," Elena murmured. "I tried to fix it, but I'm not very good with computers. I just made it worse." She bit her lip, obviously embarrassed at her blunder. Hope merely shook his head and kept his eyes focused on the computer, clicking away as he finished up. "It's fine. At least you weren't lazing off like them," Hope said, referring to the pair of men grumbling quietly behind the shelves stacked with books. He gave a final tap on the mouse and let out a breath of relief. "Well, that's it. See you next week."

"You're leaving already?" Elena asked, looking disappointed. Hope nodded, tilting his head toward the computer. "The file should be under the folder labeled '7AC'. And make sure to double-check on it to see if everything's in place before you transfer the document to the flash drive." He tossed the metal piece to Elena, who caught it in her hand, nodding.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer?" Elena asked. Hope shook his head. "I have to go and take care of something," Hope said, putting on his jacket. "See you." And with that, he left the library, walking out of the campus as he headed home.

* * *

As Hope strolled down the sidewalk, he checked the time on his phone. It was nearly five in the afternoon; the day passed quickly, but it was still bright out. He remembered what Serah had said in the car, and thought back to the list he'd made back in his room in the morning; it was stored safely in his desk drawer. He'd written down various ideas for helping Lightning get her memory back, some more likely to create a spark than others, but he had one particular plan in mind—going shopping, down at the mall in New Bodhum. He knew it sounded a bit silly, but they'd in fact gone together an unusually large amount of times, mostly when they both had extra time on their hands and had nothing to do. They'd usually just look around and eat, but taking a trip down there could create a possible chance that Lightning would remember something. He didn't know what, but it could have been considered "memory-invoking", as Dr. Hightower and Serah had said before. Wasn't it?

Hope ran over his thoughts as he weaved his way through the nearly empty streets of New Bodhum. He didn't know why, but it was always rather quiet during the late afternoon in the city. Hectic motion and crowds filled the sidewalks during the late morning and early afternoon—then, it would suddenly turn silent before night fell. The citizens would then flood out into the city once more as the sky turned dark, noise and movement filling the once empty streets. It was like an unexplained routine that people went through—even tourists were aware of it on their first time in the city.

As Hope reached a turn in the sidewalk, his eyes drifted over to the display in a small gift shop in the corner. He slowly approached the window, examining the stand. There were some earrings and necklaces lying on the display case, but what caught his eye was the silver chain connected to one of the necklaces. The chain wasn't thick, but it wasn't too thin, either. Hope silently called the image of Lightning holding her pendant to mind; the chain that had been with it had either been crushed or disappeared during the crash. Either way, she had nothing to carry it around her neck with. He brought his hand to the back of his jeans to feel for his wallet, but failed as he realized that he'd left it at home. Sighing, he continued walking down the street, reminding himself to come back next time with some money.

* * *

"Light?" Hope called out. There was no answer. He shut the front door behind him and crept through the hallway, looking around for any traces of his friend nearby. Maybe she was still in her room.

As he approached her door, he knocked on her wooden frame. "Light?" he said again. She didn't respond. The whole situation reminded him of the morning, where he'd knocked on her door and seen her sleeping. He wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and pushed, only to see Lightning resting in her bed once more.

Hope couldn't help but smile. It was always different seeing Lightning when she was sleeping, regardless of the fact that she'd lost her memory. She was lying on her side, arm tossed over her waist. Her steady breathing was the only sound heard throughout the quiet room, and her chest rose up and down in time with her breaths. Her fringe covered her eyes as she slept, barely resting on her long eyelashes.

Hope carefully treaded over to his companion, stopping once his foot rested on something soft. He looked down to see that he had stepped on part of the blankets that were resting next to her bed. Lightning gave a small shiver, and Hope slowly picked up the covers and draped them over her body, careful so as to not wake her up. He shifted his hand over her forehead to brush her bangs out of her eyes almost instinctively, but jerked back once he realized what he was doing. Lightning started to stir, and Hope quickly backed out of the room and closed the door shut before she was able to wake from her sleep.

_Watch yourself, Estheim_. He reprimanded his hands, telling himself to be more careful. Yet he couldn't resist admiring Lightning, whether she was sleeping or wide awake. He grinned, knowing all too well that if she'd been fully recovered and awake while he'd touched her hair like that, he'd most likely be left with a bruise or two on his arm somewhere.

* * *

Lightning woke up, squinting at the light starting to drive into her pupils. It was the same routine every time she awoke—opened eyes, squinting, and diving back under the covers until she found the process somewhat tiring. She'd gotten the vague sense that she wasn't a morning person to start with, but wondered if it was just the sleep her body endlessly craved or a natural habit for it to be so hard to get up from bed. After all, she'd just taken a nap, and it probably wasn't morning.

Groaning, Lightning slowly sat up, hair ruffled and covers moving up to smother her. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to comb it down but making it even messier as she did so. Her eyes rested on the bed sheets as she sat up, motionless for a moment before she let out a yawn. As soon as she fully opened her eyes, though, she noticed she was encased in a thick layer of heat. Looking down to see the blanket wrapped around her body, she blinked, confused for a moment before developing a sneaking suspicion that she knew who it was. In spite of the discovery, she turned to get out of the bed, rather reluctantly as she stretched her arms out.

* * *

Hope had been reading downstairs, flipping through pages nonchalantly as he skimmed through the dull novel. There was nothing else of particular interest, considering the fact that he'd just recently finished the last good book on his shelf, and all he had left to read were some textbooks from his old classes.

Hope checked his watch. It was seven in the evening. Time had suddenly sped up, and the day was going faster than ever. Despite the tingling sense of boredom in the back of his mind, he found it nice to relax for once with a book in hand. He was finding less and less time for books nowadays, and what better way was there to relax than to read?

Though Hope wasn't too worried, he couldn't help but have small, prickling doubts about Lightning's recovery every once in a while. He knew that she'd take her medication every day and was able to take care of herself—but he found himself restless just thinking about it. He couldn't stand there being even a slight chance that Lightning might never get rid of that damn amnesia. It just wouldn't be right. Things would never be the same again.

Every time he had these thoughts, he had to firmly reproach himself for doubting. He had to stay strong and determined, to never let any insecurities get the better of him. Lightning was going to get better. Even the doctor had said so—it had to happen. If it didn't…well, he didn't want to think about that.

Hope dragged his attention away from his unwanted thoughts and back to the book he was holding, purposely trying to distract himself from the unwanted thoughts. He flipped through the hardcover bounding for a few minutes, but the whole atmosphere was so mind-numbing that he even considered grabbing his old textbooks and looking through them when the sound of light footsteps reached his ears. It was coming from the hallway. Hope turned to see Lightning heading in his direction, now wide awake and alert.

"Have a nice nap?" he asked. She nodded. "I think I got enough...sleep," she said, slightly wrinkling the bridge of her nose. "How was your little trip?"

"Great. Over half of the guys in my research group were arguing before I even got there, and two of them kept making it worse. They misplaced a single file and couldn't find it," Hope said, sighing. "They're smart, but...they get easily distracted." Lightning nodded in response, as if she understood the thin layer of stress that he could feel whenever he spoke of the situation.

"What classes are you taking?" she asked, walking over to take a seat next to him. "I'm trying to get a degree in science," he replied, stretching his legs out. The movement made him think back to how he used to do it when he was fourteen; he immediately set them back down on the floor again, aware of Lightning's presence as he tried to rid of the childish motion. "To be more specific, I'm studying in the field of anatomy. I actually…want to be a doctor. I don't know, I've always been interested in the human body, and I want to help people."

"Do you have any particular type in mind?" Lightning asked. Hope creased his brow in thought, lifting his head up to look at the ceiling as he did so. "I'm not too sure about that. The only thing I can think of would be a surgeon, but there's nothing else that I can bring up for sure. Maybe a spinal surgeon—I dunno." He turned to glance at Lightning, who was not looking at him, but at the floor. And there it was again: that same expression of discomfort, unease—but why? Had he said something wrong? He didn't remember saying anything that could have upset her. Or was she still tired? But she'd gotten plenty of rest. She wasn't exactly bright and perky whenever she woke up from some sleep, but it usually passed after a few minutes.

Why did she look so…not nervous, but...uncomfortable?

"What is it?" he asked.

"Huh?" Lightning looked up, startled.

Hope leaned back on the couch as he inspected Lightning, tilting his head as he did so. "Something's been eating you ever since we went down to the hospital. What's wrong?"

Lightning shook her head, as if to say that nothing was wrong. But Hope knew that was a lie. "Come on," he insisted. "Tell me what happened."

Lightning sighed. She kept refusing for the next few minutes, but finally cracked as she realized that Hope wasn't going to give up.

"I'm just…I'm worried."

"About what?"

"A lot of things," Lightning said, running a hand through her hair. "I finally got to remember something today, right?" Hope nodded in response. "But…what if I don't?"

Hope looked at Lightning, his expression slightly crooked in the midst of confusion. "You've lost me now. What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Lightning paused, running through her thoughts to find the right words to say. "Do you really think it's possible for me to remember everything? I practically forgot my whole life. It's weird. I was kind of numb at first, and I guess it didn't really register that I had amnesia. I mean, I knew that I'd lost my memory—it just didn't really sink in yet. And now I'm worried. I don't know if…if I'll be able to fully _get_ everything."

Hope shook his head as he heard those last words, taking Lightning's hands. "You don't need to worry, Light. You're going to remember. You heard what Hightower said."

"'Just a hypothesis'? He came up with that guess with two days' worth of scans and papers. Are you sure—" Lightning began, but was cut off as Hope gripped her hands even tighter and stared at her. The expression behind his eyes surprised her; the fierce determination seemed to have come out of nowhere during the conversation. "You're going to remember, Light. Don't worry." He seemed to suddenly realize the position that his hands were in, because he abruptly let go of her fingers, giving her a small smile to let her know he wasn't trying to be forceful. "If it's really bothering you, why don't we go over some stuff, to give yourself a better idea?"

"Stuff?"

"Yeah. Your personality."

Lightning thought about it for a moment, ending with a nod as she looked at Hope. "Well, what're the basics?" She felt sort of silly, talking about getting to know herself, but they both knew it was because of her amnesia. Hope kept thinking for a moment before he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"For starters, you're 25, you're a soldier in the Guardian Corps, 5'7", and you work hard at your job. You've got a no-nonsense approach, but you're pretty nice, most of the time."

Lightning's mouth formed a small _oh_ as she silently absorbed the information that Hope had fed her, running over it once more before responding to his brief summary. "Most of the time?"

Hope cracked a small smile. "Yeah. If you get mad, though…let's just say you get kind of punch-happy." He'd expected some kind of eye-roll from Lightning, at most, but was instead rewarded with a sarcastic slap on the shoulder. Hope froze for a moment, surprised. She'd been considerably less aggressive since the accident, and he'd assumed that she would remain in her somewhat polite form until she'd recovered at least halfway. But she'd just hit him, something that she would have done had she regained her memories.

Hope gave a delighted laugh as Lightning eyed him in confusion, mildly bewildered at his unexpected reaction. He merely grinned and suddenly stood up, his arms moving almost mechanically as he took Lightning's hand and pulled her up. "Perhaps I can offer a better method for some form of 'recovery'." Lightning raised an eyebrow in question, tilting her head the slightest bit at his vague statement. "Why don't we go somewhere?" Hope suggested.

"What? Now?" Lightning said, slightly taken aback. "Didn't we already go out yesterday?"

"Yeah, and look at how that turned out. Lebreau's bar isn't the only place out there, you know."

Lightning paused hesitantly. "Where are we going to go?" she asked, her tone uncertain. Hope, however, didn't need to think about his answer. He already knew what he was going to say as soon as she asked the question.

* * *

"Hope, why are we here?"

"Just relax. It'll be fun, trust me."

"Wait—"

"Trust me," Hope repeated. They were both standing in the middle of central New Bodhum, heading towards the string of stores in front of them. The government had managed to reconstruct the city a few years after the fall of Cocoon, and it was noticeably smaller than the original city of Bodhum had been. But the small town had gradually expanded as the years passed, eventually going so far so that it stretched out even larger than the previous city had.

Hope spun around, getting a short glimpse of the street before he started walking. Lightning followed suit, jogging in order to catch up once Hope sped up the pace. They finally stopped at a small store, the display filled with plates and silverware. It was a shop filled with material used for cooking.

"You don't have any money, do you?" Hope asked, turning to Lightning. She shook her head, eyes swiveling over the window in the shop. "Me neither," Hope said. Lightning raised an eyebrow in confusion, eyeing Hope as if he were a little paranoid. "If you don't have any money, then why are we here?"

"Window shopping," Hope said. "To tell you the truth, we used to do it a lot when we had some free time. I figured that this might help you remember something."

"Oh," Lightning said. "Is this because of what Serah said?"

"Huh? Oh, um…" Hope swallowed, keeping his eyes fixated on the window display in front of him as he did so. "Yeah. She suggested that we do something together, so I…uh, I figured we should. You know, to help you try and remember something."

"Hm," Lightning said. She didn't question his words, which left him a bit more relaxed and made him able to look at her again after a few minutes. He was never a good liar—but what else could he do? He didn't want her knowing that he'd written down a whole list of plans and places for her to visit for her to gain her memory back—it was embarrassing. She'd learn of his feelings for her, something that he was deathly afraid of. He knew he was probably being a bit paranoid about it, but he always wanted to see the day when he'd told her himself, not have her find out on accident.

He took a deep breath and turned to Lightning, smiling. He raised a single finger and pointed down the sidewalk, directing her attention toward the line of shops in their way.

"Shall we?"

* * *

**Okay, I'm going to be 100% honest with you guys: I'm considering taking this story out for a break.**

**In short, a hiatus.**

**I don't feel like the storyline's going along very well. This doesn't mean I'll be putting this story on hold-I'm just considering it, but the thought's getting closer and closer to a yes. I don't really have much more to say; it's just a thought, but it's mainly because I'm not feeling very confident about this story. But then again, I'm rather insecure when it comes to my writing, so it might just be me. Please give me your thoughts and opinions on the story in your reviews and let me know if anything seems a little...well, weird. Thank you!  
**


	9. Notice

**Hello,**

**I've gotten a lot of messages and reviews about something I mentioned in my last chapter, and I'm sure you all know about it by now. I've decided to put Lost Memories on a temporary hiatus. It'll only be for a few weeks- I've felt the need to take a short break from the story. I feel like I've been stuck in the same position for the last few chapters. I guess you could call it writer's block *_* On top of that, I've got finals coming up soon...sorry for the disappointment. I realize that lots of people go for weeks in between their chapter uploads, but I felt like I should tell you guys, considering that I usually only go for up to two weeks between my chapters. I promise I'll focus on the story more after my little break. Thanks for reading!**

**-elskera**


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